How to Save a Life
by Abunai-ai
Summary: Jinx has given up her life of crime to live with Kid Flash in Metropolis. Things arent easy. Can Jinx turn her life around or will she be captured and seperated from her boyfriend forever?
1. Chapter 1

How to Save a Life 

"_And I would have stayed up with you all night,_

_Had I known how to save a life."_

**Chapter 1**

****

'_I'm suffocating…' _The windowless room was definitely shrinking. It had to be. There was no way that such a big space could feel so claustrophobic. She longed for the freeing odor of the city's contaminated ozone.

"Hey that's an unusual shade of hair color you got there miss; you're not from around here are you?"

Shoulder length fuchsia strands lurched away from an ashen face as rose colored eyes looked at the clerk in alarm.

"Now that I think about it I might have seen your picture before somewhere… like one of those superhero girls…or was it one of the villains-?

The exotic girl tried to regulate her heart rate by breathing through her nose. _'Breathe. Don't panic; remember what he said: you are what you want to be…not what others perceive you as…'_

"Oh well it doesn't matter anyway. That would be crazy. I mean come on, if you had special powers why would you need to walk down to the post office to pick up your mail right?"

'_Breath in…breathe out'_

The postal worker laughed obnoxiously at his not so comical joke while the paranoid girl tried to calculate all the escape routes she could find. _'I should use my dark magic…he'll be hexed long enough that I could slip out the back door in the confusion …'_

"Anyway, don't mind me young lady. My own ordinary life bores me so sometimes I let my imagination get the best of me."

'_Yeah sounds terrible. Want to trade lives old man?' _

"So who did you say you were picking up mail for again?"

'_I didn't.'_

Satisfied that he wasn't a secret informant for the Justice League or its team of protégés, the Teen Titans, the pink haired teen calmed down slightly and answered him properly.

"Wally. Wally West."

"Ah yes, here is a letter from Gotham. Wow an official Wayne Enterprise seal! Your friend must be pretty important to merit mail that special. Can you please give me your name so I can sign this off?"

Suddenly overcome with a bout of abnormal terror again, she froze up.

'_Remember to breathe. Don't hyperventilate now.'_

"..Uh…Jinx- I mean Jade. Its Jade..um..Hsalfdik."

"Oh are you European?"

Anxious to get out of the confining room the girl named Jinx started to edge towards the door.

"Yeah sure whatever, bye now!"

Nearly fleeing from the post office, Jinx walked quickly to the safety of the crowded sidewalks of Metropolis. Blending into the masses, she stuffed the letter into her messenger bag. Out here she could pass as a civilian with her jeans and one of Wally's oversized shirts and sunglasses. Even a justice wielding vigilante like Super Man or Robin would have trouble locating her in this busy city, at least for a short time anyway.

Thoughts turning to her escapade at the post office, Jinx laughed out loud at her cleverness in picking a last name. _'Hsalfdik – Kid Flash backwards. And to think that Wally said it would take weeks for me to gather enough courage to leave the apartment, let alone manage by myself.' T_hen she remembered how scared she had been when her identity as a super villain had almost been discovered. Well, ex-villain at any rate, but her boyfriend was still trying to convince the other heroes in the League that she was really a changed girl. A conviction that even she was having trouble standing by with confidence. As long as they remained skeptical, she remained on the wanted list. _'Oh how the mighty have fallen…'_

Pulling out the to-do-list that she had secretly made before Wally had gotten up this morning, Jinx scanned it for the next task. She wanted to finish all of the necessary stops before six o' clock when her own super hero would be home for dinner. He had said he might be late because he had to go to the Watchtower and Tokyo among other things, but with his super sonic speed she knew Wally would be home right on time. Then again saving lives, or destroying them for that matter, could not be written into a schedule. Her enemy, now boyfriend, had taught her that everyone deserved a chance at life, even her, someone who could only bring bad luck to people. He was one of the reasons she had quit the Hive Five and moved to Metropolis in a desperate experiment to start anew. An ever present struggle, the change had brought many new trials into their young lives forcing them to forget their respective sides of so called good and evil, and just focus on who was a friend or an enemy.

'_Let's see, I guess I'll go to grocery store now and buy something to make for dinner tonight. Heaven knows we can never have enough food in the apartment with a boy that has extra fast metabolism. Kid Flash, the fastest human garbage disposal alive!'_

Mouth breaking out into a very rare smile, Jinx crossed the street briskly as the walk sign flashed green. The tall skyscrapers reflected her image when she rounded the corner to the other side. A little ways down, the Daily Planet stood as a magnificent tribute to man kind's ongoing battle in seeking out the truth. It put the rest of the extraordinary buildings to shame with its large rotating steel Earth and flashing news's headlines. Across from it was the multi level super market that she was headed for. Jinx had barely passed the flashy corporation when she thought she saw two familiar faces in front of the double glass doors. Inconspicuously glancing in her peripheral vision the ex-villainess nearly went into a nervous breakdown. It was Raven and Beast boy of the Teen Titans, she was sure of it. _'What are they doing so far away from Jump City?! Argh! Who am I kidding? I'm here and I used to live in Jump City. Ok, you can do this, just walk like you belong here.'_ For the second time that day Jinx wanted out. Five steps towards her destination and she knew there was no way she would make it. Raven an Empath, had already sensed her unusually high strung emotions in the normal hustle and bustle and Beast boy's nose had caught her specific scent in the afternoon breeze. Their heads turned almost at the same time, locking on to her presence. _'Screw playing it cool. They are not taking me away from the only good thing I have ever known.' _Jinx broke into a run, Wally's sunglasses falling to the ground as she zigzagged through cars to get to the super market. Automatic doors blasted her with recycled air as she skidded to a clumsy stop inside the safe haven.

Outside, beyond the traffic filled intersection, a green boy picked up a pair of sunglasses and stared at them thoughtfully before carefully dropping them into his female partner's hand.

"What do you think Rae?"

"I think it's time to call Robin."

The changeling appraised her cloak concealed face for a minute before towing her by the hand into a secluded side street. Once comfortably hidden in the shadows, Beast boy gently pushed back the girl's hood so that he could see her purple eyes clearly.

"What?"

Knowing better than to take her monotone attitude personally, he tried to convince the dark witch otherwise.

"Rae, do we really have to notify Robin of this? It might not have even been her. Besides she hasn't done anything bad lately. What if she has turned over a new leaf?"

Raven's eyes narrowed, having never quite gotten along with the girl they were hunting.

"Tell me, how many girls do you know with neon pink hair? I don't care if she's planted a whole new tree. She still needs to pay for all of the leaves it took for her to figure it out. She could be working for Slade for all we know."

Beast boy discreetly rolled his eyes as she searched for her communicator to contact their leader with. Leave it to the logical and unemotional one to jump to conclusions when it came to the people she really despised.

A pale hand opened the communication device only to be halted by a green one.

"Every one deserves a second chance Rae. You of all people should know that."

Images of Apocalyptic fire and human screams filled the titan girl's head and she clenched her eyes shut against the onslaught of emotion. Her father's voice seemed to ricochet off walls inside her head. **"You will be my portal that ushers in the end of the world!"** She opened them cautiously to check the grey skin on her arms and legs. _'No hellish markings - thank Azar.'_ The relieved telepath looked up only to see the triumphant look on Beast boy's face. He knew exactly what she was thinking about.

"Fine, you win. We'll just tell Robin she may be here, give him the glasses, and then let him handle it."

"That's all I'm asking."

Raven stepped forward to hug the boy lightly and teleport them both out of the darkness.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Jinx tried to regain her composure as shoppers stared at her curiously.

"Ha…ha…nothing to see here. Carry on…"

Acting like she hadn't just blew in there like a hurricane, the enchantress grabbed a shopping cart and proceed to walk maturely down aisle nine.

"Maybe I should make pasta for Wally tonight. That should keep him loaded with carbohydrates for those halfway around the world trips."

With a snort Jinx dropped a couple boxes of bow tie noodles into the cart. If someone had told her a month ago that she was going to be buying food with Kid Flash's health in mind she would have laughed in their face right before hexing them all the way to kingdom come. After gathering a few more necessities and checking out, the peculiar girl started the trek out the door. She had almost made it when she saw an outfit that closely resembled her old Hive Five uniform. Without warning, she was hit with such a powerful yearning for something, anything that would give here some notion of who she was or where she belonged that she walked over to look at the price tag. After checking her wallet, it was obvious that it was much too expensive for her pitiful running away savings. But it felt so right, so familiar that Jinx needed to have it. Pink sparks had actually started to form at her fingertips when a voice echoed loudly in her head. **"You are what you want to be not what others perceive you as Jinx. If, in your heart, you truly want to be good then you can be good. It won't be easy. But like all good things you have to work for it. I'll help you. Who knows? Maybe someday you'll even fight along side me as a hero."**

'_Wally…'_

Jinx recoiled from the display as if it had bit her. Eyes widening in horror she clenched her fists together to stop her past life from overtaking her.

'_Wally would be so disappointed in me if I stole that…'_

Jinx literally felt physical pain as she forced herself to turn around and march out of the store, groceries in hand. Tears filled her magenta eyes as she realized that she had a serious problem.

'_I can't do this. It's too hard to not be who I was before. I don't belong here. I'm a dark enchantress whose very name means bad luck. The world doesn't benefit from my existence at all. Maybe it would be better if I just stop trying while I'm ahead; turn myself in and be subjected to solitary confinement for the rest of my life. It's not like anyone would miss me much. I can't stand feeling this lost.'_

The depressed teen was so preoccupied that she did not even notice how late it had gotten, or that she was walking down a seedy looking alleyway that did not appear to be all that safe.

"Hey girlie! I'm talking to you! Look at me when I speak woman!"

Jinx was jolted out of her musings by a man's grating voice. A girl about the same age as her was being pushed around by an unscrupulous looking character.

"L…Leave..me…a…alone. I don't even know you!"

"Not yet anyway."

Jinx started to back away from the increasingly dangerous scene only to stop again, plagued by her conflicting emotions. _'Just walk way. It's not like I'm the one hurting her. Besides who am I to criticize his methods? I was just like him a couple weeks ago and I don't even know if he is really the bad guy here.'_

She turned her attention back to the victimized girl now cornered into the brick wall of the alleyway. With one look into her frightened eyes Jinx knew who the bad guy really was. Taking a deep breath and looking inwards into herself, Jinx tried to picture what her speedster would say at a time like this. His image swam in her mind. _'Jinx not doing anything at all is worse than actually causing the problem. Practicing apathy is the worst thing you could do to this city. You have heard it many times, with great power comes great responsibility. You're responsible for **lives** Jinx. Fragile things, lives. They are easily broken. And once destroyed they can never be saved. Who will you choose to be? The destroyer or the savior?'_

"The destroyer or the savior…good…or evil."

Jinx groaned and strengthened her resolve before approaching the two lives in question. She may not know where she belonged right now, or what side she was on, but Jinx did know one thing. There were two lives in desperate need of saving right in front of her and she had the power to change the outcome.

"I will prove to you Wally, that I can be **GOOD**!"

Heliotrope waves of electric energy sent the hoodlum flying away from the innocent girl trapped against the wall. Black magic surrounded the man and dragged his body towards the witch.

"Hello! How was your day today? Fine? **BECAUSE MINE REALLY SUCKED!"**

All the pent up emotion and frustration that had been slowly mounting all day was finally unleashed as Jinx released most of her magical power in a catharsis. Round after round of pink energy hit the weak low life relentlessly. The man, now unable to move, stared up at the near hysterical Jinx through glazed eyes as a booted foot was placed on top of his windpipe.

"P..please..I..can't breathe…"

"Deal with it. You're lucky I'm even letting you have air right now. You just lay there and enjoy that precious commodity while you can."

Her reply was met with wheezing and muscle spasms. He wasn't going to last long like this. _'Oh well, one less one for Wally to worry about.' _As soon as that thought actually connected with the rest of her brain Jinx leapt off of the prone man at once. He rolled over on all fours gasping and sputtering and then stumbled out of her line of vision. _'What have I done? I almost killed a man. That would have undone all of the progress I've made recently. Everything that Wally has taught me. Being a hero really is an impossible career choice for me after all. Someone just doesn't change from one end of the spectrum to the other, what was I thinking?'_

"Um…e…excuse me? Miss?"

Jinx whirled around, rudely jerked out of her self reflection by the girl she had rescued.

'_How did I manage to forget about her?'_

"Thank you so much for saving me! Are you a hero? You made it look so easy, the way you took care of that guy! I just can't thank you enou-"

'_It was far from easy. How can you even think I'm a hero after what I almost did to that guy?'_

"Just Forget it. It was no big deal."

The grateful girl scooped up Jinx's now smashed grocery bag and handed it to her.

"Oh but it was a big deal! There has to be something-"

"I said don't worry about it. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get going now."

"The least I can do is walk you to wherever your going-"

"**Just leave me the hell alone! Don't you understand! I'm not a superhero! I'm just Jinx!"**

The taken aback girl stared at the witch, judgment replacing thanks.

"What is wrong with you?"

Jinx watched as the girl turned on her heel and ran out to the street that was now humming with night life.

"Everything…"

She was cold, tired and wanted to go home. Any home. It didn't matter at this point. Both her mind and body were exhausted from all the strain. The worn girl walked slowly back to Wally's apartment, her footsteps echoing behind her.

Phew! And there is chapter 1. I hope you guys liked it. Don't worry Wally will be in the next chapter. Aren't they just the cutest couple? If I get enough reviews I'll make this into a really long story okay! Thanks for your time!


	2. Chapter 2

**How to Save a Life**

"_And I would have stayed up with you all night,_

_Had I known how to save a life."_

_- The Fray_

**Chapter 2**

Jinx was cold, tired and wanted to go home. Any home. It didn't matter at this point. Both her mind and body were exhausted from all the strain. The worn torn girl picked up her now smashed grocery bag and walked back to Wally's apartment.

The stairs heading up were long and painful. _'Why does Wally have to live on the very top floor, or here's a better question, what is it with superheroes and roof tops?'_

Reaching the chipped maroon door she slid a finger in the lock and gave it a little shock. It swung open to let her inside the dimly lit living room where she flipped on the main light. A sharp gust of wind was her only warning before she was slammed into the plastered wall, her grocery bag thrown to floor yet again. '_What the…?'_ Pink eyes were filled with the sight of messy red hair and blue orbs shoved directly in her face while her arms became pinned above her head. Her whole world turned yellow and red.

"Where the hell have you been?! Do you have any idea how worried I've been? Not knowing if you had been captured or lost in the city?! For God's sakes Jinx what were you thinking going outside alone? You're nowhere near ready for the temptations that would bring!"

"Wally…"

Jinx almost cried with relief. It was just Wally. Correction. A very mad Wally. Jinx had never seen him this angry before. _'I thought he would be proud …What happened to his faith in me?'_

"Don't you…don't you trust me anymore?"

With an exasperated sigh the boy super hero removed his hands from their imprisoning position and ran them through his hair. A sure sign that he was stressed out. As Jinx was released from his shadow, she saw that he hadn't even taken off his uniform yet. A gold lightening bolt emblazoned on his chest advertised that he was indeed the Kid Flash shone brightly under the fluorescent lights. _'Was he really that worried?'_

"Jesus Jinx…"

He tiredly peeled off his mask throwing it carelessly into the corner of their kitchenette.

"Of course I trust you. You just…you just really scared me alright? Besides the fact that I think a trip into the city wouldn't be great for you right now there's something else that had me concerned …"

Jinx met his apprehensive gaze with new understanding.

"You mean the Teen Titans…don't you?"

His surprised expression indicated to her that that was exactly what he was going to say.

"How did you know about that Jinx?"

"I…I saw them in downtown Metropolis…in front of the Daily Planet."

"You what!"

His sharp exclamation did nothing to make her feel better. The boy, seeming to realize that he must only be adding stress to her already eventful day, was at her side in half a second. Gathering her into a protective hug, he carried the witch over to the couch and sat down, finally taking note of the way she looked. Her grey face held even less color than usual and her normally mischievous rose eyes were dulled and lifeless. She had cuts on her arms and burns on the tips of her fingers where she had obviously concentrated too much of her power. Zooming over to the sink, the junior Flash got an icepack and towel and raced back to his position underneath her before Jinx could hit the sofa cushion. Trying not to jostle her anymore, he held the icepack to her hands attempting to fix what problems he could. Totally unfazed by his attention, Jinx just stared blankly in front of her.

"Come on Jinxy, they might have been visiting Superman."

"If you really believed that Wally, you wouldn't have reacted the way you did when I walked in the door."

He frowned, not knowing how to respond. He had expected her to have a comeback because that was just in her nature, but for her not to snap at him for using the nickname "Jinxy" was extremely unlike her. Jinx hated it when he called her that and usually took it as an invitation to use him as her personal barbeque. The Kid Flash tried a different tactic.

"Fair enough Jinx. Your right. I can't guarantee that the Teen Titans weren't there for you. That's not realistic."

He had her full attention now.

"But I can guarantee you that I'm not going to let them just cart you off. You are under my jurisdiction now and they are not authorized to so much as look at you."

"But Wally…!"

The boy looked at her patiently, waiting for her to figure out what she was really trying to say.

"The Titans…no all the heroes…aren't they some of your closest friends? You and Robin are pretty tight with each other right? Won't keeping me safe be the same thing as harboring a fugitive in the Watchtower's eyes? You'll be kicked out of the league not to mention lose allies!"

Wally watched his girlfriend rant quietly before speaking.

"First of all Jinx if they're my real comrades, which they are, then they won't stop being my friend because my girlfriend happens to be an ex-criminal. Second of all, don't worry about the League. Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Jean Luc…they may seem strict and scary to you but in reality they're all a bunch of softies. Besides, I'm the nephew of Barry Allen, _The_ Flash. I'm not goin' anywhere."

Jinx relaxed for a millisecond and then whipped her head back towards him.

"Wait, you never told me what the Watchtower thinks of me Wally! Have they listened to you at all? Do they believe I'm not bad anymore?"

Blue eyes broke contact with pink as they suddenly became very interested in the ceiling fan.

"Well yes and no."

"What is that supposed to mean yes and no? They can't just write me off as a yes or no issue-"

"Jinx!"

"Sorry. You can explain now."

The young girl looked sheepishly at his knees and absentmindedly played with one of his wrist guards.

"What I mean is that not enough time has passed yet for them to make a definite decision. It's hard because Batman generally listens to Robin's opinions dealing with villains from his city, and you didn't exactly hit it off with Robin."

Jinx's eyes darted up furtively to check the boy's expression, saw that it was disapproving and opened her mouth to defend herself.

"Hey just cuz the Boy Wonder isn't so wonderful that he can't even catch me, an amateur, is not my problem. I couldn't have made it any easier for him-"

"Yeah well, something about an unmanned school bus going downhill at ninety miles an hour and an empty baby carriage."

"Oh…that."

"Yeah that. Spare me the gory details."

"Hey speaking of…do you want to hear about my big day in the city?"

The hero laughed and nodded but Jinx could see the underlying anxiety in his face.

"Of course baby, wouldn't miss a story this interesting in a million years."

"Better watch your step Boy Blunder or else I'll never run errands for you again."

"You left the safety of the apartment…to run errands?!"

"Well, how else were they supposed to get done? With you on the other side of the planet and no butler that only leaves one other person."

"I could have done them when I got home Jinx."

"Nothing would have been open by then."

Her voice lowered to a barely audible whisper.

"Besides you shouldn't have to. I hate constantly living in fear like this. Not knowing what I stand for, where I belong. Always screwing up. It's enough to make a girl want to ship herself to Arkham."

Wally flinched.

"Please don't talk like that. You belong here with me in the light. You won't have to be afraid for much longer I promise. As for messing up, everyone does it. You have a kind of addiction Jinx. An addiction to your old life of villainy. It's going to be hard to stop and it's an even harder road to recovery. That's why I wasn't thrilled when you said you had gone into the city. You're obviously not my prisoner, but I'd like to think that I look out for you. When I give you advice it's not just to hear my own voice. I can show you the right path, but in the end you are the only one who can walk it. You need to save your own life before you can even begin save others."

"Are…are you sure Wally?"

The caring boy flashed her a lopsided grin.

"Of course. When have I ever been wrong?"

A blanket of security seemed to drape around Jinx's shoulders as she listened to Wally. That explained all the temptations she had felt today. It was normal. As if she had never doubted herself in the first place the now excited girl launched into her adventure at the same speed Flash ran.

"IfeelsomuchbetternowbecauseIwasreallystartingtoquestionifIhadmadetherightchoice.YouwouldhavebeensoproudatthewayItotallymadeupanameonthespotandescapedRavenandkickedbadguyass-!"

"Woah woah woah! Jeez Jinx and you tell me to slow down. You must really be feeling better. Did you say you kicked ass?"

"Yeah I saved some girl from an old drunk right after getting away from Raven and that boyfriend of hers. Oh and I bought us pasta see?!"

Jinx hopped up and skipped over to the shopping bag like she was three years old without a care in the world. Kid Flash shook his head chuckling. _'Uh…what happened to my dark and emo enchantress who can make a full grown man pee his pants with a single look?'_

"Here Jinx let me help you cook."

"Alright go get changed first and I'll start. And don't even think about leaving your dirty socks on the floor again."

"Or what? You gonna' hex me? You'll never catch me, I'm way to fast."

Jinx slowly turned around to face him her eyes glowing eerily.

"No, I will kill you when you least expect it. I know where you sleep."

'_Okay never mind the evil mastermind has returned.'_

The effect was lost on Wally. The one doing the threatening was wearing an apron and armed only with a wooden spoon.

"Uh huh sure you will."

The wooden spoon missed the speedster's head entirely as he disappeared into the bedroom, the makeshift weapon clattering to the floor harmlessly. Jinx returned to the stove huffing, as she got out a pot and brought the water to a boil.

"Ugh. The things I put up with, seriously."

An hour and a half later and on an extremely full stomach, Jinx stood on her tiptoes to spit toothpaste into the sink while Wally did the dishes. In a t-shirt two sizes too big for her and a pair of Wally's boxers ("Catch me if you can I'm the ginger bread man"), she tried to brush her tangled hair into a ponytail. Almost done with her hygiene ritual Jinx remembered the letter she had picked up today. Face still wet and towel in hand, the girl hurriedly rushed into the living room, nearly tripping on the place where carpet met bathroom tile in the process.

"Wally I almost forgot there was a letter addressed to-"

"Hush!"

"H…huh?"

'_Did he just give me an order? He can't tell me what to do like that, I'll show him…'_

Wally raced over to her and grabbed the towel from her hands while simultaneously shooing her into the bedroom before she could utter a single protest.

"I thought I heard someone knocking at the door. Don't come out until I give you the all clear okay?"

Jinx nodded her head silently and crouched frightened, just inside the doorway of the bedroom. This way she could see what was going on by looking through the thin crack of light into the main room.

"Alright just a minute I'm coming!"

The hero unlatched the safety chain and turned the deadbolts, opening the door only halfway to greet their unexpected visitor.

"Good evening Kid Flash. I hope I'm not…interrupting anything but could we come in for a while? We'd like to talk to you about an important matter."

From Jinx's hiding place she couldn't see who "we" was but she knew that righteous baritone anywhere. It was Robin. And if the twitching in Wally's arm was any indication that he wanted to slam the door in the heroic leader's face, Jinx guessed that the situation was not looking good.

"Robin…Starfire. How…nice to see you both. It's been a couple months since that big Brotherhood of Evil mishap hasn't it? How goes things in your city?"

Jinx's eyes widened a fraction. _'Starfire is here too? That's good. She won't let Robin do anything that would upset me. But still…this could be bad…'_

"Please friend, things are glorious now that the evil hood of Brothers has been vanquished. But I am afraid that we are here on not so glorious terms. Robin and I must speak with you about the girl of pink."

'_Or maybe she would. Starfire does seem to follow whatever Robin asks of her. I bet she would jump off a cliff if he told her to. Not that he would of course.'_

It was official. Jinx was scared to death. There was little hope left.

'_I'm_ _about to be arrested and taken to a special detainment center on a far away_ _planet._ _It's all over.'_

"I'm sorry guys but Jinx is not your assignment, she's mine. I'm pretty sure you didn't get the go-ahead from the League concerning her, meaning you also don't have the authority. Besides those two very valid points I honestly can't help you locate her whereabouts. As it stands now, I seem to have lost her myself. I guess I wasn't cut out for the job, sorry."

Wally's hand came up to slam into the door as Robin tried to push past him. Jinx could now see both Starfire and her extremely pissed off counterpart.

"Flash you are so full of shi-"

"Now, now Rob we're both on the same side here. You wouldn't want to stain those pretty little Tamaranian ears of hers would you?"

Both boys let go of the door altogether as Robin glanced over at Starfire who was staring meaningfully at him with an "I told you not to lose your temper" kind of look. Robin took a deep breath and started over with a calmer strategy. Jinx watched as Starfire used Wally's momentary distraction to take in the state of the apartment's interior. With a pang of regret, the nervous witch realized that there was evidence of her presence all over the place. _'Well too late now…'_

"So Kid Flash, where were you at 3:32 p.m. today?"

"I was in Japan, fighting crime like I was supposed to. Why?"

Robin's face broke into a sly grin. Starfire's emerald green eyes squinted at the sink in confusion attempting to figure out why the speeding hero needed two sets of dining utensils to eat with.

"So you weren't anywhere near the downtown post office"

"Noooo."

"Well that's interesting because some body picked up a high priority letter for you signing it out as Jade Hsalfdik. Maybe it's just…coincidental that the name 'Jade' is very similar to 'Jinx' and 'Hsalfdik' is Kid Flash backwards."

'_Oh God. Oh God. Wally that was me! Look down! The letter is by your foot! He's got to hide it some how. What are we going to do? Robin is too good of an interrogator, second only to Batman himself!'_

"Yeah maybe, but I don't have any letter of that status."

The red haired boy shifted his weight to his right foot in an attempt to cover the letter he had just noticed on the floor. Unfortunately for him Robin, who had been watching his movements like a hawk, also saw the mail.

"You mean the letter you don't have under your foot? The one from my guardian? That one?"

Starfire ripped her attention from the abandoned ice pack on the couch and the pink toothbrush on the hallway floor.

"The man of the bat has contacted you Kid Flash?"

Wally sighed suddenly feeling extremely overwhelmed.

"So it would seem Starfire."

Robin arched a thin black eyebrow over his mask.

"And you felt you needed to hide that from me because…"

"Look man, its no secret that you got connections. Well newsflash I do to. We are both on the same level here Rob. Now stop treating me like a convict and let me get some shut eye already!"

Robin, looking quite affronted, wasn't about to let Wally off that easy.

"Flash I'm just trying to do my job. I'm your friend but I also have to take into consideration that where that girl is concerned you are blind. You disregard what you fight for just so you can make an exception. By doing that you are committing a serious felony. Violating international code by withholding a wanted villain is a grave offense. You really think the Watchtower is just going to look away while you play your little game of house? Jinx has wreaked havoc in my city and she will pay dearly for what she has done. You can't hide her forever!"

Jinx, who was now crying silently, rocked back and forth on her knees trying to block out Robin's unforgiving accusations. _'I'm trying…I'm trying. Why can't you people see that I'm trying my best?'_ Starfire was about to call it quits and break up the little come to Jesus meeting before it came to blows when she noticed a slight movement by the bedroom door. A glimpse of white and purplish hair would occasionally come into view. With a blinding understanding, Starfire pieced together the toothbrush, extra dishes, and forgotten icepack into her mental puzzle. Beaming her one hundred watt smile, she turned to face Robin trying to get his attention. Robin, however, currently had his hands full with a livid Wally.

"**How dare you come into my city and accuse me of being blind! You're one to talk! **

**It's common knowledge that you don't follow protocol when your precious alien is in danger-"**

"**You've crossed the line Flash. Bring Starfire into this one more time and-"**

"Um…Robin?"

Starfire timidly tried to interrupt.

"…**And so help me.."**

"Dick?"

"**I'll make sure you never see that little bitc-"**

"**RICHARD GRAYSON!"**

Robin stopped his shouting abruptly looking at Starfire in surprise. Wally had much the same expression. Starfire **never** yelled, let alone scream his real identity for everyone to hear, while he was in uniform. She was too kind and peace loving for such "barbarics".

"S…Star?"

Robin stuttered, slipping into his affectionate nickname for her. The alien girl grinned brightly as if she hadn't just bursted out in an exorcist-like scream.

'_Scary.'_

"Thank you Robin. As I was trying to say. It is getting rather late and I think we should be doing the leaving of the apartment now should we not? Mr. Kid Flash needs his rest as do you. We shall return at a later date to try and resolve this in a civilized manner."

Without waiting for her partner to agree with her, Starfire used her inhuman strength to drag Robin out the door and down the corridor to the stairwell, winking at Wally on the way out.

"Farewell friend! Have a…glorious evening. Do not have the worries, I will take care that Robin does not interfere with your plans. I think that you are doing a really marvelous deed Kid Flash. Please tell Jinx, if you happen to see her, that I would love to do the hanging out with her sometime!"

And then, faster then they had appeared, the dynamic duo were gone. Wally blinked once, twice, and then ran over to the window to watch as Starfire got on the back of Robin's motorcycle, arguing with him through the whole process. Her words drifted through the ajar window pane.

"Robin we need to just trust his judgment….you know what it's like to be in love…what would you do if you were in his position and it was me that everyone was hunting?"

Wally strained his ears to catch Robin's reluctant grumble.

"I…would do the same thing. I wouldn't let anyone have you."

From Wally's height it was hard to tell the heroes expressions but the mood lightened considerably as Star wrapped her arms around her boy wonder's back ready to go.

"Let's go home Star. I've had enough of this city."

"Glorious! And when we get home we can partake in the drinking of mustard and popping of corn yes?"

Robin's booming laugh shook the night air.

"Whatever makes you happy. Although I'm probably going to pass on the mustard okay? You had better hope Cy hasn't used all of it on his 'all you can eat meat extravaganza' though."

He turned around, ruffled the horrified girl's hair and sped off towards the Metropolis city limits, the roar of his bike fading into the distance.

Aaaaand that's a wrap! Chapter 2 is officially done. So you guys like it so far? Any comments? Complaints? I know Jinx is a little out of character right now. I'm trying to get her back to old personality slowly and still have her be nice. LOL Also there is not extreme romance yet cuz I didn't think KF would take advantage of her so early in the relationship with the state she is in right now. Jan ne! –Abunai ai


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everybody! I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed! You guys are some of my first reviewers because I'm new to fan fiction. Actually I'm new to writing in general. Lol! Anyway your reviews really keep me going and give me ideas on how this is all going to play out. Oh and for all of you who said you liked the bb/raven, rob/star coupling there will be more of that later don't worry. Preview hint for this chapter is…Batman shows up! Okay sorry, sorry here it is…

**How to Save a Life**

"_I would have stayed up with all night had I known how to save a life."_

The Fray

**Chapter 3**

Wally West shut the window content with the day's conclusion. He walked back to the bedroom to rescue Jinx from the uncertainty of her predicament only to find her missing. Muted snuffling noises were coming somewhere from underneath the big king sized bed. Getting down on his stomach, Wally slithered over to the noise.

"Jinx?"

Shinning slanted eyes stared back at him, reflecting catlike in the darkness.

"It's all right now Jinx they're gone. They won't be bothering us for a long time. C'mon, that's my girl, you're safe now."

Jinx, who had crawled underneath the bed when the yelling had begun, was coaxed out of her hideout and placed carefully on the bed. The traumatized girl had tear tracks running down her face and was hiccupping softly.

"I'm so sorry Wally…hic…for being such a …hic…burden to you. All my bad luck has…hic… rubbed off on you too."

Wally sat down next to her, his weight making an impression on the sheet comforter. His nimble fingers lightly touched the underside of the distraught girl's chin and drew it towards his own, forcing her to look at him.

"Jinx I want you to stop saying that. You make it sound as if you weren't supposed to be born or something."

Magenta eyes gave him a pointed look that said "duh because I wasn't" and Kid Flash scowled at the expression. He held her gaze for a minute before roughly letting go, turning away to figure out how to make her understand.

"Don't be a smart ass. You know what I meant. You're not _**a** _jinx, you **_are _**Jinx!"

"They are the same thing Wally."

The boy came back at her so fast Jinx nearly fell over backwards.

"**No!"**

Wally paused and took a deep cleansing breath. He made a conscientious effort to lower his voice and not let his heart completely take over his head.

"No they're not. There is a big difference between who you are and what you could be. If you really want to be a jinx and bring pain to everyone around you then I can run you back to the Hive before you can say 'snot bucket'."

Jinx giggled, her hiccups ceasing. Snot bucket was something her old teammate Gizmo used to say. _'Maybe Wally has a point…'_

"I know you Jinx. I know that every fiber of your being is screaming for a change. I also know that you have been trying so hard to make that change a good one. Someday you'll see what I'm talking about and-"

Jinx cut in.

"Slap you upside the head for being a mushy sap?"

Wally's face broke out into a smile, relieved that the day had not taken away her humor.

"Well I was going to say shower me with love and affection, but hey, that works too."

Jinx groaned and swatted him playfully across the chest.

"Yes because can't you just see me doing that? – NOT!"

Wally laughed and kissed her briefly on the forehead.

"Yeah, you wouldn't be the Jinx I know and love if you didn't have some intimacy issues. Hey! I bet I have something that will make everything that happened to you today all worth it."

His girlfriend peered at him skeptically around the bed post, sitting up so she could tuck her legs underneath her.

"I highly doubt that…unless you have a unicorn hidden somewhere around here?"

Jinx looked around cutely as if she would suddenly spot one trotting out of the walk-in closet. The boy rolled his eyes. Of all the things to be obsessed with it had to be a mythical creature. She drew them, she daydreamed about them, he even caught her making the outline of one with her breakfast cheerios one morning. _'Jeez who new such a witchy villain could have such an angelic hobby.'_

"No Jinx, but it's just as awesome."

"What could be more awesome than a unicorn?"

Wally looked over his shoulder as he walked into the living room, pretend hurt in his eyes. She quickly amended her inquiry.

"Other than you of course."

"Of course."

He strutted back in carrying the letter from Wayne Enterprises in his hand like it was a winning lottery ticket. Kneeling down on one knee, the comical boy presented the mail to his princess.

"M'lady, the moment we have all been waiting for."

Pale, trembling hands unsteadily grasped the envelope.

"You mean this is…?"

"Yep. It's from Mr. Wayne so I'm guessing it's the Justice League's decsision on your case."

Jinx stared at the paper not wholly sure she really wanted to open it.

"Well what are you waiting for Jinxy? The suspense is killing me!"

The nervous girl shot him a glare and then slowly started to peel open the flap on the back of the envelope. The letter fell open in her lap. After an apprehensive look from Jinx, Wally nodded encouragingly and wrapped his fingers around her own, pushing the paper up towards her face. Jinx scanned its contents. Five seconds ticked by an eternity before the pink haired girl burst into tears and shoved the mail in Wally's face. Fearing the worst, he focused on the small font and began to read aloud.

"To: Mr. Walter West and whomever it may concern…It has recently come to our attention that a Ms. Jinx (villain # 3163 D class) has been participating in unlawful activities in the vicinity of Jump City. Her indiscretions too many to count and colorful background have made her a liability to both the League and its affiliates. Her charges include, but are not limited to, aiding and abetting known high ranking super villains such as Slade Desmond, assisting in the complete take over of the world, and the assault of a Justice League member. In light of recent events, it has become apparent that villain # 3163 has had, according to the hero Kid Flash who has testified on her behalf, "a change of heart" and will no longer be a threat to the common good. The council has deliberated the weight of these charges and the testimony and have come to the conclusion that the charges against Ms. Jinx will be dropped on the following conditions: 1) Ms. Jinx may not leave the watchful guardianship of the super hero Kid Flash until further notice nor may she be allowed out of his sight outside the privacy of his own home. 2) The "ex"-villain in question must wear an inhibitor bracelet for a six month period. Finally if these two conditions are not adhered to or if the League feels otherwise all rights and privileges will be revoked and charges reinstated. The council will deliberate again in half a year's time to reevaluate the issue. It is advisable that these regulations are followed or Ms. Jinx and Kid Flash will not only be barred from the League but will be subjugated to whatever punishment the council sees fit. However, Kid Flash is to be duly recognized for his efforts in this matter and the council hopes he is well. Sincerely, Superman, Batman, and…The Flash!"

'_My God they really mean business up there!'_

"P.S., Junior you better hurry and get your butt up here. You have some very important data that you were supposed to retrieve yesterday! That girl of yours better not be distracting you already. Keep up the good work, signed Uncle Allen."

Wally finished reading the letter and made a mental note to thank his uncle later. He looked up at Jinx incredulously.

"This is fantastic news! I can't believe it! Why are you crying?"

Jinx's sobs had turned into silent tears and a smile now graced her lips.

"Because I'm so happy! Wally…I am _free_!"

The girl's eyes had regained their bright color, her whole face radiating with pure joy. Wally's expression softened. In his eyes, she was already a hero for being brave enough to come this far without turning back.

"I'm so glad for you Jinx. You finally have your big chance for a new life."

She nodded her head enthusiastically jumping off the bed as soon as she realized something.

"Oh! That means you're stuck with me for a little while then huh?"

Jinx wrinkled her nose in fake disgust.

"Kinda' like my babysitter."

Kid Flash spread his hands out, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hey do you see me complaining? This is a guy's dream come true; here give me your wrist."

She laughed and walked over to him her arm stretched out in front of her. Wally snapped on the purple inhibitor bracelet that he had found at the bottom of the envelope. It would stop her from using her powers as long as she wore it. The green light on the side of it blinked showing that it was functioning.

"Now don't try to take this off. I'm the only one with the key and if you try to break it the tracer will alert the watchtower. We don't want that."

Jinx silently agreed as she remembered the council's warning.

'_These rules are to be followed or Ms. Jinx and Kid Flash will be subjugated to whatever punishment the council sees fit.'_

"I know Wally, but what if I accidentally mess up? You'll get into trouble too."

The boy flashed her a reassuring smile and rubbed his thumb over her cheek bone, wiping away any trace of tears that was left.

"You won't mess up. I'll be with you almost 24/7 so the temptation to revert back to your old self won't be as bad."

Jinx lowered her eyes to ground trying to suppress a blush she knew was coming. Having never been loved before made her feel awkward when Wally was this close. She bit her lip unsure of whether or not she should seize the moment and just kiss him. That would definitely make her feel better.

'_God what has happened to me? I used to be so bad ass and now I've been reduced to this? Get a hold of yourself and just kiss him already!'_

Flash's blue eyes darkened continuing his thought.

"And with that inhibitor bracelet you won't be able to use your powers."

Whatever moment they had been sharing was now gone as Jinx looked up at him, curious at his slightly edged tone.

"You don't seem to like those things very much."

She examined the bracelet closely as if whatever about that bothered him would suddenly pop out at her. Not wanting to frighten her, Wally kept his true fears to himself and instead jerked his head, trying to sound noncommittal about it.

"Well it doesn't leave much room for circumstantial exceptions."

'_Like, oh say, life threatening situations where you might actually need your powers!'_

Jinx didn't get what he was driving at so she just nodded.

"Oh."

She yawned and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Wally looked at the clock.

'_11:30 p.m.! Yikes that's late.'_

"Hey you should probably get some sleep."

Jinx sleepily crawled under the bed sheets in response.

"What about you? Aren't you coming to bed too?"

"I'll be home later. I'm going to take a walk around the block really fast, clear my mind."

"A walk or a run?"

Wally bashfully rubbed the back of his neck.

"Maybe a little of both."

"Don't stay out too late. You have to go to the Watchtower tomorrow."

"Babe, I could sleep in until 10:00 and still get there at 10:01."

Jinx buried her head into her pillow comfortably, her sarcastic voice muffled.

"Oh I'm sorry; I obviously forgot who I was dealing with here. _Whatever _was Ithinking?"

The speedster was almost out the door when he remembered the role he was supposed to be playing. He zoomed back into the bedroom.

"Don't move okay?"

The half-asleep girl turned her head slightly while raising an eyebrow rhetorically.

"Does it look like I'm going anywhere to you?"

"Um…right. Okay see you in a bit."

The boy sped out of her sight. Jinx grumbled and shut off the bedside light.

"Yeah, more like in the morning."

She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The air outside was cool and even though it was quite late, people milled around adding to the buzzing night life. Autumn was definitely coming. Leaves were beginning to change colors and fall from the trees that lined the strip. Kid Flash had slowed to a stroll as soon as he felt someone following him. Finally ready to go to bed, he came to a complete stop wanting to get the show down over with.

"O.K. The jigs up. Who's there?"

A black shadow descended from unknown heights to land in front of the hero.

"Not bad for an honorary titan. You will make your uncle proud someday."

Flash junior sized up the cloaked man. His face was unrecognizable as the street lamp behind him cast it in shadow, yet the silhouetted profile gave his identity away. It could strike fear into the hearts of any criminal in Gotham and instill reverence in any and all who knew his name. Batman.

"I was under the impression that I already make him proud."

The mysterious man chuckled and stepped forward so that he was no longer masked by darkness.

"Well met Kid. You are so much like my own protégé Robin. Standing up to me is one of his favorite past times as well."

Wally's guess was correct. It was none other than Batman himself.

"I probably picked up a few pointers on how to deal with caped crusaders from him then. Rob and I go way back."

"Then you must have received the letter I sent you."

"More or less. Although I'm not sure what Robin has to do with getting it to me, he was more interested in taking away what it addressed."

With this Kid Flash clenched his fists and stared at Batman fiercely, daring him to take Robin's side. Instead of reacting the same way, the older hero just knowingly nodded his head.

"Your uncle is extremely protective of his loved ones as well. You really are just like him."

"So I've been told."

"I sent the letter with Robin last time he was at the manor. Was he not the one who delivered it to you?"

"**No**. No that didn't seem to be high on his priority list."

'_**That son of a-. **He must have just dropped off the letter at the nearest post office so he could have the extra time to search for Jinx. He knew if I didn't have the letter yet he was still allowed to capture her! I'm seriously going to pop him one the next time I see him!'_

Batman watched the different emotions play across his face and came to the same conclusion Wally did.

"I will speak with him."

Kid Flash was snapped out of his thoughts and, in a very uncharacteristic move, spat back at him.

"Don't bother! I don't need help dealing with my _friends_."

"Nor do I think you do. It is not unhealthy to have a rival Flash."

The young hero flushed, rightfully embarrassed.

'_I just talked back to a Justice League Council member!'_

"Sorry Sir. I understand."

Batman put a hand on Wally's shoulder, never one to dwell on trivial matters for too long.

"Things are going to be tough for you in the coming months. Your movements with that girl will be monitored carefully. One toe out of line and…"

"I know, I know. We are both in a helluva lot of trouble."

He nodded once and withdrew his hand.

"As long as you understand that no one will get in your way. But you should know the council only agreed to let Jinx off because of you."

The teen's eyes widened.

"Because of me…?"

"You have been a faithful hero Flash. You help the League, even though you are still too young to join it, and have saved many lives. You're a boy, soon to be a man, that has great potential. The council sees this as a learning experience."

"You won't be disappointed sir. Jinx really has changed, she just needs a chance-"

Batman waved a hand dismissively.

"Kid, I have been alive a longer than you and seen many things, including villains who go straight. However, some never really changed at all, using the façade to peddle their petty schemes."

Kid Flash broke in angrily.

"**Jinx isn't like that!"**

"I hope for your sake that is true."

With that he turned and jumped up to the rooftop of a nearby building, his voice drifting back on the wind with an ominous warning.

"I won't be far."

Wally determinably marched down the sidewalk, leaves crunching furiously under his feet.

"I will prove to you that we can do this!"

Batman watched from his metal perch in a construction site as the boy super hero walked into his apartment, checking himself before he slammed the door.

"So? How did it go?"

He turned to look at his companion who was sitting with her legs dangling over a steel girder. Her ice blue eyes, which had also been trained on the apartment high rise, now teasingly moved to meet dark hooded ones.

"See something you like?"

Batman scowled at the dark haired woman.

"Careful Bruce, do that enough and your face might get stuck like that."

"Please Diana now is not the time for that."

The woman named Diana swung her powerful legs back in forth and cocked her head playfully.

"We're watching two teenagers. How hard can that be? You're too serious, relax."

"The moment one is not professional in their work, accidents happen."

She rolled her eyes heavenwards, stood up, and dusted imaginary dust off her thighs.

"Hera help me. Fine then _Batman._ Let's go give our report to Clark back at the watchtower and rest. Then we'll see how professional you _really_ are."

Bruce looked at her trying not to give in by laughing.

"Why do I get the feeling that we won't be getting much rest?"

Diana stood with a hand on her hip, her wristband glinting in the moonlight.

"Because you have excellent intuition."

She walked forward until her nose was only inches away from the side of his face, her lips barely brushing his ear.

"Speaking of intuition, you have to believe in Kid Flash and Jinx before you deem them a failure. Is it not possible that Jinx really has changed?"

Batman's eyes slid to the right to see her in his peripheral vision. His mouth opened stiffly, the rest of his body also as rigid as a statue.

"There is no such thing as a changed villain _Diana._"

She drew away from him shaking her head.

'_I will melt this ice block of a man someday, even if it is the last thing I do!'_

"I think you will find that there are many things in this world that change for the better, if you let them."

Batman acknowledged the double meaning behind her words but did not concede. He thought about how he vowed he would never get involved with a woman and realized that he was losing that particular battle.

'_All the time I spent warning Robin about the dangers of getting involved with Starfire and look at me now.'_

"We'll at least I still have time to work with Kid Flash. Apparently his ex-villain has 'intimacy issues'"

Unaware he had said that aloud, the caped knight had no witty comeback for Diana when she jumped off the tower with a snide comment.

'Yeah well she's not the only one."

Batman sighed heavily and followed her lead. This was going to be a long ride home.

Thanks a ton for reading you guys! As always comments are greatly appreciated, you know the drill! Preview hint for next chapter involves enemies, tickle fights, and catastrophe! Jae ne! –Abunai-ai


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry it took me so long guys! I had to write most of this the old fashioned way in secret because I got grounded from writing. LoL Anyway thank you for all that reviewed, I love you guys! Here it is.

**How to Save a Life**

"Lay down a list of what is wrong, things you've told him all along. Pray to God he hears you, and I pray to God he hears you."

-The Fray

Sunlight streamed in through the blinds filtering onto the girl's pale face. Jinx blearily opened her eyes and blinked against the morning's brightness. She turned her head, her pink strands spilling over the pillow, and was met with the sight of a well toned back and untidy red hair. She resisted the urge to giggle. Wally was lying on his stomach in shorts from last night, his face smothered in the pillow. It looked like he had stumbled in, took off his shirt, and fell face first into the bed without even bothering to change or get under the covers.

'_That does not look comfortable.'_

She tried to turn on her other side to check the time but something was restricting her movement. Looking underneath the covers, one lean arm was wrapped securely around her waist. Her eyes traced further down the bed and saw that the arm's owner was still wearing one shoe.

"You're a mess Wally."

He shifted slightly at her whisper but did not open his eyes.

'_He must be really tired to sleep this late. He's always up before I am!'_

Trying not to disturb the sleeping boy, Jinx wiggled her butt to the right hoping to escape his hold. She had barely moved when Wally's arm tightened in response, imprisoning her once again.

'_This could be harder than I thought.'_

It was time for some serious acrobatics. Putting one hand underneath her she pushed herself up and flipped her legs over, successfully facing the other direction upon landing. Her body had barely hit the mattress when she was pulled backward against Wally's chest as he also rolled on his side. She blushed, incredulous at the fact that he was doing all this in his sleep.

'_Are you kidding me? Now how am I supposed to get out of the bed?'_

Her back to his face, she missed the smirk that would have otherwise alerted her that he was actually awake and having a little fun with her. Jinx huffed exasperated and pursued a new strategy.

'_I don't care if he ends up on the floor wide awake, I **am** getting out of this bed!'_

She grabbed his arm and pushed, sucking in her stomach so she could slip out. It didn't budge.

'_This is starting to get ridiculous! I know super heroes have strong reflexes, but **come on**!'_

Jinx could feel Wally's breath on the back of her neck tickling the sensitive skin there. She was extremely ticklish and started to laugh both at the sensation and the hilarity of the situation. Her quiet giggles grew into violent bouts of laughter, her petite frame squirming in his arms. Flash, unable to keep up the act any longer, also began cracking up and surprised Jinx by flipping her over on top of him. The girl gasped and stared in shock at his smug face.

"You were awake the whole time!? You…you **faker**!"

She shoved an accusing finger in front of his baby blues. Her trickster had the audacity to look, if even possible, more cavalier than before.

"Mornin' gorgeous. You weren't really thinking about getting up without saying hi to me first were you?"

She frowned at his playful question, tired already from just the act of waking up, no thanks to Wally.

"Yes actually, I was thinking about doing just tha – Ah haha!"

The roguish boy interrupted her by tickling her sides relentlessly.

"Wrong answer Jinxy. I think some punishment is in order don't you?"

She gasped for air in between hysterical fits of laughter, trying to get away from her captor. Despite her protests Wally could tell she wasn't really upset.

"No…ha…more…ha ha…please!"

Kid Flash's smile turned mishevious.

"What's that? More please?"

Jinx flushed hotly for the second time since she had woken up. She wanted retributive justice and she wanted it now. Summoning her dark energy Jinx jabbed Flash in the side. Nothing happened. Confused, she tried again when Wally gave her another opening. This time not only did pink energy not appear at the tips of her fingers but a painful shock raced up her arms and into her chest, sending her body reeling into the mattress. Jinx groaned and opened her eyes cautiously to see Wally hovering over her, his playful attitude gone. He ran his hands lightly up and down her arms and over her heart checking for any damage. She shivered under his ministrations, goose bumps rising on her skin.

"This is why I hate inhibitor bracelets."

Wally picked up her wrist and gently rubbed the flesh underneath the offensive object. Satisfied she wasn't badly injured, he sat back on his heels and evaluated her sternly.

"So quickly we forget, eh Jinx?"

Jinx stretched and made sure the electric feeling was gone. She pouted and looked furiously at his knee. The electrical surge had hurt and Jinx felt a little degraded by the whole thing.

"I don't understand why I have to wear this, I'm not a mutt who needs to wear a shock collar! I hate this stupid bracelet! Jeez, Sorr – y Wally for forgetting my place as untrustworthy criminal!"

Wally shook his head, ignoring her sarcasm. He noticed that in times like these, when she was hurt or angry, the old Jinx seemed to shine through the new one's shell.

"Don't apologize to me. You're the one who got shocked. I guess you'll remember now won't you?"

Jinx glared at his knee even more intensely and blinked back angry tears. Kid Flash leaned forward into her line of vision so she was looking him in the eye instead.

"Jinx…"

He waited until she focused on his pupils, showing that she was listening intently.

"**_I_** trust you. Remember that."

The recovered girl nodded and took a deep breath. He was right as usual.

"Come on Wally, it's a new day. Let's get up and face it!"

He smiled at her newfound determination and dragged her with him off the bed.

"Well we better hurry then. We won't be able to face it if it has already passed us by."

"I'm sorry, who wouldn't let who out of the bed?"

Flash tried to catch her as she glided tauntingly into the kitchen but ended up falling flat on his face. It seemed his feet were a little unbalanced.

"Why do I only have one shoe on? Wait. Why am I even wearing a shoe?"

Laughter was the boy's only answer before it was drowned out by the banging of pots and pans and the sound of running water.

Breakfast was pretty much an uneventful affair, the only mishap being that Jinx forgot to turn on the waffle iron forcing them to eat toast and fruit instead. Jinx did not try to use her powers again and Flash did not bring the incident up.

"Are you gonna' be alright here?"

Wally was putting on his shoes by the front door, getting ready to make his trip to the Watchtower. Jinx dried her hands on a dish towel and looked at him over the kitchen counter, wondering why he was even bothering to ask. _'You couldn't do anything about it if I said no and I don't think you would take me with you. On second thought why would I want to go up there anyway? It's not like I would get a warm reception.'_

"I'll be fine. Maybe I'll clean…or something."

She was really not looking forward to spending another boring day cooped up alone in Wally's apartment. Jinx was starting to develop an acute case of Claustrophobia from all the time she spent shut indoors. Her boyfriend met her eyes sympathetically from across the room and unlocked the door.

"I'll come by later this afternoon and rescue you. How does dinner out on the town sound? I could always bring you home before my nightly rounds."

"My hero."

"I try."

Kid Flash blew the girl a kiss and, with one last look of sympathy, disappeared in a gust of wind. Jinx walked over to the open doorway peering out into the corridor.

'_Freedom…'_

The man living across the hall opened his door clad in a bathrobe, and bent over to pick up his newspaper. He gave Jinx an odd look as she stared wistfully at the dirty and chipped stairwell. She snapped at him, finally noticing what she probably looked like just staring off into space.

"What?! Never seen a girl with pink hair before?"

Without waiting for a response, Jinx walked back into the apartment and slammed the door. She turned all the deadbolts into the locked position, her hand wavering uncertainly in front of the safety chain. Then, remembering Robin's angry promise about making her pay for her misdemeanors, she decisively locked it as well. Jinx opened the hall closet and took out the vacuum cleaner. Speaking to it, she unwound the power cord and plugged in the machine.

"It's just you and me today buddy. Care to dance?"

Flicking on the power, the girl proceeded to vacuum, waltzing her way up and down the carpet.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Kid Flash tapped his foot impatiently inside the Watchtower's glass elevator. The view of Earth from outer space would have impressed most people, but not this boy. The awesomeness of it all had worn off somewhere around the 50th trip, and now he just hated not being able to run in the confining tube. With a soft swooshing noise, the lift door opened and Wally walked into the interior of the space station.

'_Why is it that every time I'm here I feel like I've walked onto the set of Star Trek?'_

"Well it's about darn time Kid. Do all junior heroes keep their superiors waiting, or are you just special?"

He turned, recognizing the voice but not quite able to put a face to it.

"Lois Lane!?"

'That's my name. I would say try not to wear it out, but that just seems so cliché don't you think?"

'_What is she doing here? I know her dad is some hot shot in the military but she's a civilian!'_

Lois winked at the puzzled boy and adjusted the shoulder strap on her reporter bag. Sensing his confusion, she smiled kindly and offered an explanation.

"I was just working on a story for the five o'clock news and I'd thought I would drop by to see if Clar- I mean Superman, had any info that would help me."

'_Duh Wally! She's with Superman. Although, this is awfully far for someone to just "drop by". He probably forgot his lunch at home.'_

A picture of the man of steel in his red cape walking out the door, lunch in a paper bag forgotten on the kitchen table, popped into the speedster's mind. Wally bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing out loud.

"I'm sure."

The female reporter narrowed her eyes at him as she got into the elevator and pressed the down button.

'You'll find your uncle in the Archives and Data room talking with Superman. Goodbye Kid Flash."

Wally tried to look innocent as he waved politely.

"And a very good bye to you Ms. Lane! Have a great day!"

The doors hissed closed on and Wally continued on his way.

'_Note to self: Watch your mouth when speaking with anyone from, affiliated with, or dating, someone in the League.'_

Coming to his destination, he stopped, took a deep breath, and knocked. The door slid open immediately and two men looked up at him upon his entrance.

"Wally! Finally! Get in here and close the door already will ya!"

Wally took a seat in between the two super heroes, the corners of his mouth twitching. Nothing was too fast for his uncle. There was fast, faster, and more fast.

'_Come to think of it, I share that philosophy with him too.'_

"It's good to see you to Uncle Allen."

His uncle clapped a hand on his shoulder affectionately before addressing the man next to him.

"Okay Clark, so I guess I'll run these tests for you and we can bust Luther later?"

The legendary hero rose, making him even more compelling at his full height. The big "S" symbol seemed to cover his whole chest, practically yelling who he was and what he stood for.

"No hurry Barry, it's not like Luther Corp is going anywhere. Besides, if it isn't this, Lex will just be involved in something else illegal. It's just in his nature."

Flash senior sighed.

"Stupid fool. Knowing that man, it's probably some half baked scheme to take over the world or make himself invincible."

The two men looked at each other for a couple seconds, thinking about who it was they were dealing with.

"Yeah, actually I think I'll get right on that."

"Yeah, good idea."

Superman turned to leave, but not before flashing Wally a warm smile and a nod. Kid Flash returned the gesture and watched in awe as he left the room. His uncle laughed at his expression.

"I believe the word you are looking for is 'star struck'."

Wally shook his head trying to focus.

"Huh? Did you say something Uncle Allen?"

The older man reached up above him to gather some discs, his eyes twinkling.

"No, just thinking aloud. Here, take a look at these."

The Flash put a disc into the database and information scrolled across the screen. Wally began to read.

"These are…crime scene reports?"

His uncle nodded an affirmative.

"Not just random reports. The crime is very specific."

Wally looked at the screen a little closer.

"I don't see a pattern, except that all the crimes occur at scientific research centers and that in all cases something was stolen."

"Not just anything: radioactive material, technology, alloys, and…uranium."

"So?"

The older hero raised an eyebrow that said "Are you joking?"

Wally scratched his head thoughtfully. Horrified he came to a conclusion.

"Oh. Oh my God."

'_Someone wants to harness nuclear power!"_

"I don't think God has anything to do with it."

Wally quickly scanned the locations of the crime scenes.

"Jump City, Central City, Gotham…they're hitting all the big labs."

His uncle agreed.

"And they're not stopping."

"Where do you think the suspect will strike next?"

"What big city still hasn't been mentioned?"

Flash junior thought for a minute and then looked at his uncle in alarm.

"Metropolis!"

His uncle prompted him, satisfied that he was finally on the right track.

"And what is there of value that the suspect might want to break in to?"

"S.T.A.R. Labs."

Wally's whispered answer echoed in the tiny room.

"Bingo."

The worried boy looked from the screen to his uncle and then back to the screen again.

"So…what are we going to do?"

The Flash shrugged and unhurriedly took a sip of coffee.

"Wait until something happens."

His nephew's jaw dropped open, not believing what he was hearing.

"Wait!? Wait for what? Half the U.S. to go Kaboom? How can you be so calm about this?"

The coffee mug was set back down on the table gently as Wally waited eagerly for things to start making sense.

"First of all Kid, a super hero should always remain calm. Freaking out is a civilian's job. We don't know if these materials are going to be used for a bomb, which by the way, is why the League is giving the assignment to you."

The younger boy tried to accept the explanation.

'_Uncle is more experienced than me. If there was a real threat, Superman would have taken care of it. Metropolis is his city after all.'_

"If you say so Uncle Allen. Any leads on who the culprit is?"

"Not a clue. Out of all the people questioned and security footage we've seen it's like the thief is a ghost. No one took the stuff, yet the stuff turns up gone."

"No one that isn't supposed to be there anyway."

Flash Senior looked at his nephew approvingly.

"You think it's an inside job?"

"Possibly. I'll look into it."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.

'_This is just great. In addition to doing my nightly rounds and taking Jinx out, I have to remember to watch S.T.A.R. Labs. Super. Jinx is gonna' kill me for needing to go out again.'_

The older speedster leaned back in his chair and surveyed Wally's stressed expression.

"Putting villains in jail and making sure they stay there is hard work isn't it?"

"Not as hard as keeping them out."

His uncle laughed.

"A bit of a wild one is she?"

Wally pursed his lips.

"More like a free spirit. I mean you wouldn't believe the lack of common sense! Just the other day she went out in the cit-"

He broke off, noticing the "know it all" smirk that was now adorning his uncle's face.

"But seriously Uncle Allen, thanks for believing in me…in us."

"Don't make me regret it."

The Flash turned in his chair, pulling out another disc that said "Confidential" and Wally knew the conversation was over.

"Don't work too hard Uncle."

The boy turned on his heel and made his way back to the lift. It was time to liberate a certain rose eyed beauty from her cage.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Grey fingers drummed in time with the ticking of the clock. It had been four hours, thirty-six minutes, and fourteen seconds since she had stopped cleaning and six hours, forty minutes, and six seconds since Wally had left for work. She knew this because she had been keeping track. Jinx had taken two showers, counted all the tiles in the kitchen wall, guessed every person's name and life story that walked on the city street below, and had taken apart and reassembled the clock in an attempt to make time go faster. Through these endeavors Jinx came to two conclusions. 1) Time passes at its regular intervals of sixty seconds per minute and sixty minutes per hour no matter how much you stare at the clock and 2) She was losing her mind. Jinx looked at the clock for the umpteenth time.

'_Wow. Three whole minutes and three seconds since I last checked. That must be a record for me.'_

She didn't know why she even bothered to look at the clock. Wally didn't say a specific time he would be home, just that it would be sometime in the late afternoon. Technically afternoon was anytime between 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.; although since he paired the word "late" with "afternoon" she was guessing it would be more in the 3:30 to the 5:00 p.m. range.

"I am going stir crazy just waiting here! Argh!"

She flung herself backwards, laying spread eagled on the floor. Bored out of her mind, Jinx tried to make a "snow" angel in the carpet.

"Ouch! Gawd this sucks!"

All the girl succeeded in doing was give herself a rug burn. On a sudden inspiration she raised her head to look at the clock again.

Yes it's 4:29! 4:30 is definitely my lucky time now!"

Perhaps it is noteworthy to mention that at "lucky" times 3:00, 3:30, and 4:00, Kid Flash did not walk through the door. So at 4:31 p.m. when the sound of a key turning in the lock filled the girl's ears, she did not react right away. Her senses were so focused on listening for the soft tread of Wally's shoes coming down the hallway that they missed the more obvious, louder sign. The front door swung open only to be snapped to a stop by the safety chain, Jinx's upside down face meeting the inquiring expression of her boyfriend.

"Uh…Jinx? What are you doing?"

The excited girl scrambled up off the floor, ignoring the stinging rash on her arms and legs. She ran to the door and bounced on the balls of her feet like she was going to meet Santa Clause for the first time.

"Wally! Thank God! I was going nutso in this hell hole waiting for you! What took you so long? Did you know the 27th tile in the kitchen wall is chipped?"

Kid Flash peered at the little bit he could see of her through the latched doorway.

'_Oh Lordy…Looks like I need to do some damage control. She really needs to get a hobby."_

"That's great hon. Hey, do you mind, like, letting me in my own apartment?"

"Oh! Of course you can come in!"

Jinx unlatched the door, almost stepping on his heels as she followed him closely into the main room.

"I cleaned everything from top to bottom, even got the soap rings off the bathtub-"

Wally dropped his stuff and went into his closet to change, Jinx's voice drifting in through the cracked opening.

"You know, you really shouldn't let the cleaning get away from you like that. I swear there were cobwebs under the coffe table-"

Wally came out of the closet in dress clothes over his uniform and walked over to the dresser to comb his hair. He could see Jinx sitting on their bed chattering away in the mirror's reflection.

"And you know those moth balls in the hall closet? They're gone. I just swept them all out and laid out the jackets so they could freshen up."

Wally put down his comb and paused, a smirk appearing on his face. He turned and walked towards Jinx.

'I don't think you need all those jackets anymore Wally, some of them are so moth eaten that-mmph!"

In one fluid movement Wally covered Jinx's mouth with his own, effectively silencing her with his kiss. She closed her eyes, feeling some of the craziness from the day melt away. After a few seconds, Flash broke away and rested his forehead against hers.

"Woah Wally. What was that for?"

Wally smiled and kissed the tip of her nose.

"To shut you up. You have the next few hours to talk to me. I wouldn't want you to run out of…er…exciting things to tell me would I?"

Jinx laughed and hugged him briefly realizing she had been babbling about cleaning. She gathered her purse and shoes before taking Wally's hand, ready to leave.

"Somehow, I'm betting you will have much more interesting things to talk about, your day being filled with crime fighting and all that."

"Ah."

Wally acknowledged her, pulling her out the door.

"But who's day was more productive?"

Jinx looked at him sassily.

"Wally, if I helped the world more by cleaning up the apartment than you did cleaning out the bad guys, you _know _there's a problem. Maybe you needed me to fill in for you today?"

Kid Flash whacked her lightly on the butt as she skipped happily down the stairs, laughing the whole way down.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

After dinner, Jinx and Kid Flash took the long way home trying to enjoy one another's company as long as possible before the ex-villainess had to be dropped off at home. They ran across the Metropolis rooftops jumping from building to building so that Jinx could burn off any left over energy that had been pent up during the day. With a clang, Wally clung to a fire escape ladder having just leapt a particularly wide gap. From across the way, Jinx jumped and somersaulted over the void, flipping gracefully to stand on top of a lighted marquee sign above him. Wally whistled under his breath noting her excellent form silhouetted by neon light.

'_She ain't no pushover, that's for damn sure.'_

He hoisted himself up onto the roof and looked out at the brightly lit city spread out before him. There was flashing lights near the outskirts of town and an echo of an alarm on the wind. Police sirens wailed somewhere in the distance. Squinting, Kid Flash tried to make out the source of all the ruckus.

"S….T…A…R…L…A…B…S."

"Oh crap not S.T.A.R. Labs!"

Jinx joined him on the ledge.

"Wally?"

'_I have to go check it out! What if it's that ghost thief? But I can't just leave Jinx here that's against the rules. I don't have time to take her home either! Argh!'_

Wally growled in frustration and his warring emotions battled inside him.

'_If I take her with me she might get hurt. She is capable of defending herself without her powers but…'_

Wally looked down into Jinx's questioning eyes.

'_So trusting of me…'_

He shook his head and grabbed the unsuspecting girl running at high-speed through the town. Before Jinx could yell at Wally for not warning her they were already there and crawling through a broken window on the second floor. After quickly filling her in on the basics of the situation, Kid Flash and Jinx crept up and down the silent hallways of S.T.A.R. Labs hunting for the intruder. Several minutes of searching proved unsuccessful until they spotted a shadowy figure dart across the corridor a few feet in front of them. Wally broke into a run calling out to Jinx behind him.

"Stay here I'll get him!"

Jinx stood there, used to being left in the dust by now, and went to go look in a lab room she was currently standing in front of. It housed scientific equipment and other technology, all of which were very uninteresting to the girl. She was in the middle of examining a microscope when she was suddenly knocked down by an unknown assailant. Trying to regain her footing, Jinx flipped over and swung her leg out in hopes that it would bring her attacker's feet out from underneath him. He jumped, his body seeming to stretch and bend strangely as he landed on a nearby table. Jinx looked at the crouched figure, surprised that she couldn't tell if it was male or female, animal or robot. It was covered head to toe in black cloth with a black mask over the face. Jinx rolled her eyes.

"How predictable. You know the whole mysterious black cloaked super being thing has already been done right?"

The mystery villain launched itself at her, throwing a punch at her face. Jinx spring boarded backward and brought her feet up for a roundhouse kick. She pushed him away and followed his descent by kneeing him in the back.

"Although your effort is admirable you can't beat me. I was taught at the Hive Academy, headed by **_Slade._**"

The black figure rose slowly, swaying oddly from side to side.

'_Jeez. This guy is like jello. How did he manage to not get caught?'_

Jinx was caught off guard when the mystery man cart wheeled over to her and swung a whip like leg into her abdomen. Coughing, she tried to block a series of punches as she was driven across the room.

'_Where did this strength come from? All I did was say he was a copy cat and that I was taught by Slade. Who knew he was so touchy?'_

Jinx struggled with her attacker as she found her self backing up into a metal support beam in the middle of the room. She could feel the cold steel through the thin material of her shirt, the unyielding rod pressing uncomfortably into her skin. The cornered girl raised her wrist in front of her face to ward off the masked creature's oncoming blow. Instead of knocking the feeble defense away, her adversary grabbed her wrist yanking Jinx forcefully into a solid chest. Locking one arm around her neck the assailant brought a cloth covered face down to her ear and, in a very unexpected move, began to speak. The words were distorted and robotic sounding, like the disguised person was speaking through a voice box. Jinx's pupil's contracted in shock and fear as the unidentified man confided to her in a low voice.

"Thank you for taking all the credit for my boss's illegal activities. It really is most helpful darling. You see, the Justice League will be so preoccupied with you that we won't be suspected at all. Too bad your days of living as a free law abiding citizen are now over."

Jinx's small frame shook, all plans to escape his hold momentarily forgotten.

'_No!'_

"Wha…what are you talking about? I haven't done anything wrong!"

"No,"

The masked villain agreed his grip cutting off the circulation to her hand.

"But who is going to trust your word, you a harbinger of ill will?"

Before Jinx could process the foreshadowed meaning behind his words, she was flung back into the metal pillar once again, her wrist straining painfully as the rest of her body left its close proximity. Jinx gasped and saw stars as her head slammed into the pole. Her vision became unfocused, watching for a chance to run away but at the same time trying not to black out. The enemy pulled a cord out of his suit and deftly slipped it under the inhibitor bracelet on the dazed girl's wrist, binding her by it to the beam. Jinx looked up at her wrist in alarm and realized that not only did she recognize the alloyed material it was made out of but that she couldn't get free. Writhing and pulling at the odd contraption, Jinx didn't notice when the masked man slipped out the window left her there alone. She stopped for moment panting and studied the cord more carefully. From her angle, she could see an emblem engraved on the band in the shape of a "z" and a funny looking miniature clock. Closer inspection revealed that the little red numbers on the clock were actually moving at a very fast rate, decreasing in value. Jinx stopped breathing and stilled as she figured out what exactly was holding her captive. Wally was just returning his wild goose chase to help Jinx out when he heard an exclamation a hero never wants to hear.

"**A time bomb!" **

Kid Flash stared at his girlfriend pinned to the metal pillar and rapidly took in the situation.

"Jinx!"

He ran over and tried to free her from the bomb.

"Wally it won't come off I've already tried! I think it's made of indestructible material!"

Wally's nervous system was signaling his brain that it was time to panic. He squashed the feeling knowing there was no time for that.

'_Jinx is going to die if I don't do something fast! But what can I do? I shouldn't try to dismantle the bomb, it's too unstable and I don't know how it works. I could try to break the inhibitor bracelet…but then the League would…'_

"Screw the League!"

Jinx watched, frightened, as Flash seized her wrist and brought his hand up to cover the bracelet. He paused for a second and met Jinx's eyes making sure she was paying strict attention to what he was about to say.

"Jinx. Listen closely. I don't care if you hate me forever for what I'm going to do, but I would rather live my life an enemy of the Justice League than spend a single second of it without you. I am going to break the bracelet!"

His voice was hurried and gruff and the pink haired girl looked at him in wonder unable to answer, hardly recognizing the desperate man in front of her.

"No you can't!"

Wally's hand stopped a hairs breadth away from the device at her scream.

"Jinx I have to! If it's a choice between us having to deal with the League and you living, I'm gonna' choose you!"

"No Wally! You'll get into trouble!"

Kid Flash, about to slap her for being so annoyingly noble, seized her by the shoulders and kissed her fiercely.

"I don't care. I won't loose you like this."

Wally's hand phased through the bracelet, shorting out the circuitry and wrenching it from the bomb. As she fell forward into Wally's waiting arms, Jinx dimly remembered that he had the power to vibrate his molecules through solid objects. Kid Flash leapt out the window and into the cloudy night sky. Gravity taking over, they fell several stories before Jinx had enough sense of mind to blast them a cushion of dirt, her bracelet's inhibiting abilities now rendered useless. The two teens hit the ground at the same time the bomb above them did, the power of the blast throwing them far away from the lab building. Wally rolled as far away from the flame licked debris as he could, a winded Jinx tucked against his chest. The blaring of the center's warning horn sounded off behind them and the boy raised his soot and blood covered face to the sky, closing his eyes in relief. It began to rain.

"Hey."

"…"

"Hey! Jinx!"

She tilted her head back so that she could see him, water running in rivulets down the front of her throat.

"Hey yourself."

Jinx reached up with an injured wrist to let Wally know she was fine, the mangled inhibitor bracelet sliding down around her forearm. Kid Flash's eyes snapped open, feeling soothing fingers his cut skin, and was met with the sight of a red pulsing light on the troublesome gadget. His eyes widened. Red light… not green.

'_No! The tracer has been activated on the bracelet! The Justice League must be on their way! They must think Jinx was trying to get away from them by breaking the inhibitor!"_

Wally sat up abruptly, Jinx falling into his lap.

"We have to go. Now."

Jinx, upset that he had broken the comfortable position, rubbed her wrist tenderly.

"What?! Wally are you out of your mind? Can't a girl catch her breath first, I was nearly blown up a couple minutes ago."

"**Now!"**

Jinx jumped up automatically, her body following his command before she had time to recoil from his bark.

"_What is it that has Wally panicked? He doesn't panic when there is a bomb strapped to me but now…'_

In her mind, Jinx quickly reviewed anything that might scare him this way. She watched him confused as he picked up a particularly large rock and strode over in her direction. Without a word Wally gently pulled the flashing inhibitor bracelet away from her wrist and hefted the stone like a weapon.

**Crack!**

The apparatus broke into two pieces before falling to the ground. Flash ground them into the dirt with his heel. Then Jinx understood.

'_It's the league! They're coming after us now!'_

"But we haven't done anything wrong Wally! It's all just a big misunderstanding. We can just tell them that!"

The hero, probably soon to be ex-hero, picked the girl up not caring if she was ready to go or not.

"Yeah, you tell them that when Batman and Wonder woman come to beat us up and drag us to the Watchtower. The JL is more of hit first ask questions later kind of group. I would rather find the answers to my own questions and avoid the hitting altogether. We still broke the rules."

"But the League is understanding! They will listen to our side of the story before they do anything won't they?"

"Yeah normally, but this isn't a normal situation. There is something going on here that the League isn't aware of – something bigger. Someone is trying to frame you Jinx. It is your word over theirs, and my word doesn't amount to dirt right now."

Jinx looked at the ground feeling as though her dream life was crashing down around her. Tears mixed with rain.

"So where do we go now? We can't hide forever Wally."

He held her tighter against him finally understanding how Jinx felt before he had taken her in.

"No. But we can sure as hell try."

Nothing to gain. Everything to fear.

Done with Chapter four! So does everybody like it so far? Muahaha I'm so evil for almost having Jinx die. Can anyone guess who the masked villain is? –Abunai Ai


	5. Chapter 5

**How to Save a Life**

Hey everyone! Now that finals are over I'm back on the scene! Woohoo! Okay so first I want to thank everyone who complimented my story, critiqued it, or just said hi. You guys are what keeps me writing. I got some great guesses on who the villain is. Keep up the great work!

Also I don't know if anyone noticed but the song quotes from the song actually go with each chapter kind of. I'm not just being random. Enjoy!

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"As he begins to raise his voice, you lower yours and give him one last choice. Drive until you lose the road, or break with the ones you've followed."

-The Fray

**Chapter 5**

**Beep Beep!**

Two pairs of feet sloshed through lakes of water, rain drenching their owners as they ran through the night covered streets. A dirty and tattered girl practically flew around the block corner, wet pink locks slapping her in the face as she was dragged by the adrenaline pumped boy in front of her. Unable to go a step further she stopped, the forces of inertia ripping her uninjured wrist from the hand towing her. The exhausted girl fell to her knees and tried to regain her strength, her breath coming in short puffs of steam in the autumn air.

**Beep Beep!**

"J…Jin…x."

Jinx looked up, blinking rain out of her eyes and saw an equally tired and disheveled face staring back at her.

"Wally…I'm…I just…can't…we need… to stop."

Wally was bent over, his hands on his knees also breathing heavily. He splayed a hand on his chest screwing his eyes shut a second before breathing out slowly. Jinx watched his movements guiltily.

'_I must have hurt his ribs when we jumped out of Star Labs. That's why he can't run at super speed anymore.'_

Kid Flash reached under her arms as if to lift her up. Jinx shook her head furiously and made her body as heavy as possible. He frowned at her stubbornness still not able to talk.

'_He has already carried me so far. If I hadn't made him run at my speed a couple blocks ago Wally would be unconscious now for sure. He shouldn't be doing that in his condition.'_

"No…I'm not…gonna let you carry me. We either hide and rest…or sit here…in the middle of the sidewalk. Your call Wally."

**Beep Beep!**

Flash breathed out again patiently before reluctantly helping Jinx to her feet, each supporting the other as they stumbled into a nearby alleyway.

"Fine, but we can't stay here long."

They slid down a brick wall, sitting behind a dumpster. Shoes squelched as water seeped from their soles and added to the river that was flowing in streams on the asphalt.

**Beep Beep!**

"**And for god's sakes Wally, answer your freaking communicator already! The insistent beeping is driving me crazy!"**

Kid Flash looked at his girlfriend, his expression hooded. Jinx didn't look away, not meaning to snap at him but also not willing to back down. Understanding that she was just cold, tired, and hurt, he chose not to react. Without taking his eyes off hers he brought his hand to his communicator and pressed the message button. Wally had been hoping that everything they had been through in the past couple of hours would have distracted her from the fact that there was probably a bounty on their heads by now.

'_Then again, you would have to be deaf to tune out this annoying thing.'_

The communicator crackled to life, a powerful voice coming to life on the other end.

"Kid Flash. I am notifying you and your charge that you are herby wanted criminals of the Justice League."

Wally almost turned around, half expecting the tall Kryptonian to be right behind them.

'_Superman!'_

"Do not try to run. As I am sending you this message there are dispatches of heroes coming to retrieve you. You will be brought back to the Watchtower and dealt with accordingly. Jinx herself has been found guilty of not only breaking set rules but also the breaking and entering of several labs around the country. Stealing materials necessary for nuclear manufacturing is a serious charge and she will be held without trial until a suitable punishment is decided for the both of you. Under different circumstances I would have wished you a good night but as we all know, it is a little late for that."

The message ended and the two numb teens sat side by side staring at the device in Wally's hand.

'_And to think that was the man that smiled at me this morning - the man I looked up to…'_

In a moment of unchecked emotion, Wally jumped up and hurled the communicator in the trash bin. It banged into the interior, clanging loudly over the sound of the falling rain. Jinx whispered to him resignedly.

"I didn't. You know I didn't take those things Wally. They just assumed it was me. You know it was that black masked attacker right?"

"…"

"Right?"

Wally turned back to her righteously indignant that she could even think it was her fault. How could he not take her side?

"Of course Jinx. It was obviously a set up. We just…we just need to figure out who and why someone would use you as a scapegoat."

She nodded and grimaced as she stood shakily to her feet.

"Superman said not to run…"

"Then we do what any other person in their right mind would do in this situation."

"What's that?"

"We run."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It wasn't the nicest part of town -actually it was the worst part of town. Only the truly desperate criminals went to the Metropolis ghetto, and Jinx and Kid Flash looked desperate. At first Wally had been worried that they would stick out and alert every hero asking around in a five mile radius to their location. Now he realized that blending in would not be a problem. Everyone around them was just as rag tag and beat up as they were.

'_I'm trying to look like a convict. Wow I think I've just hit an all time low.'_

"Wally you need to slouch a little more. No! Don't make eye contact with anyone. Just act like you do business here all the time."

Flash looked at Jinx's dirt smeared face incredulously in the light of a burning trash can, embers flaring up as she breezed past it. Her stride could not have been mistaken for anything but a swagger, her hands shoved in her pockets aloofly.

'_She looks more confident than I've seen her in ages. Not since she was with the Hive…'_

"Jinx…you seem…comfortable here."

Jinx rubbed disgustedly at a line of dried blood under her left eye.

"Well of course I am. I know how to act around these kind of people – how to relate to them. It's easier to be a villain than a hero Wally."

Kid Flash pivoted around so that he was walking backwards and made eye contact with the pinkette.

"Your right, It is easier to give in and take the easy way out by choosing a life of crime instead of hard work."

Jinx bit her lip, rubbing her arms briskly.

"If being a hero is so hard why are you one?"

"Because it's the right thing to do."

'_If only the right thing wasn't so hard for me.'_

She looked across the street, her eyes lighting up on something.

"Maybe so Wally, but sometimes doing the wrong thing is right."

"I – hey where are going?!"

Wally jumped off the curb as Jinx started purposefully across the street towards a group of men loitering outside a liquor store. Before he had even registered what was going on, his impulsive girlfriend slammed one of the older thugs up against the brick wall.

"**Jinx! What has gotten into you? Are you out of your mind!?"**

Instead of answering the shocked boy behind her, Jinx merely smiled sadistically up at the man in her hold. His buddies had all backed away in fear, not really sure if she was human or not.

"Wot d'you want from me you crazy bitc-**argh!**"

Jinx kneed the unfortunate low life in the groin and tightened her grip.

"I don't appreciate being called nasty names. I think you should apologize by helping me out."

"And wot d' aye get in return?"

Jinx growled, her eyes lightening up with pink energy.

"**The satisfaction of knowing that I'm going to let you live a few more worthless days before I come back to kill you!"**

The thug cowered as Wally stood riveted to the spot, hardly believing this was the same girl from a couple hours ago.

'_This is how she used to act all the time. Before I got to her anyway.'_

"Alright, Alright! Keep your bloody britches on lady!"

Jinx let him down and settled for just cornering her prey now that he decided he wanted to cooperate.

"I want a car, and you are going to give it to me, savvy?"

The thug cringed at her imitation of his British accent and tried to placate her by waving his hands.

"Now luv, why would I have a car?"

He smiled, exposing three gold teeth and a diamond stud in one ear. Jinx's eyes narrowed and then swiveled to study a particularly expensive looking car parked nearby. Wally, sensing the danger, tried to intervene even though he had no idea why she wanted a car in the first place.

"Hey Jinx, he's probably telling the truth. I mean why would he live here if he was rich enough to afford a car?"

She turned her attention to her boyfriend for the first time since she had gone on her little rampage.

"You really haven't been to these parts of town much have you?"

He shrugged in response, jerking his head towards the invisible Watchtower in the sky.

"No reason to. Other, more aggressive heroes in the league deal with that stuff, not me."

Jinx smirked.

"Then consider this your crash course."

Jinx suddenly dealt a blow to the back of the guy's knees making him fall to the ground.

"So _love_, is that your car over there?"

The man whimpered pathetically but nodded.

Jinx leaned over and searched his coat pulling out a set of keys. Smiling triumphantly she jumped off of him and handed it to Wally.

"Well whad'ya know Wally, car keys."

The girl yanked the unlucky thug up off the ground and shoved him into the general direction of his fleeing friends.

"You're lucky I'm letting your lying butt go. Cross me again and you'll had wished you didn't."

"Uh Jinx…How did you do that?"

Jinx faced Wally and rubbed her hands together.

"Simple. He was obviously lying. A guy like him couldn't afford 'bling' like that, which means he either a) stole it or b) had the fine looking automobile over there."

Kid flash shook his head.

"Sometimes I think I have you changed completely and then you go and surprise me."

Jinx laughed for the first time since the start of their awful night.

"Then you won't be surprised when I do this?"

Jinx took the keys and inserted them into the car door with a click, it popped open allowing her to sit in the driver's seat.

"You know how to drive a car Wally? Um you might want to close your mouth, bugs are gonna fly in."

Kid Flash walked over to her and booted her into the passenger seat not giving him self time to think about the moral right and wrong in this situation. He could see her logic. Using his super speed would attract too much attention and the heat trail would be the same as a tracer. With a car they could pass as civilians and still get far away.

'_Ugh. But were stealing it!'_

Jinx curled up like a cat on the leather cushion and watched him fumble with the controls.

"You need to shift it into-"

"Dammit Jinx I got it!"

She looked at him through hurt eyes and began to unconsciously rub her hurt wrist.

'_God Wally what did you have to go and yell at her for? I take it back. Now I've hit an all time low."_

"Sorry I didn't mean to yell, I'm just a little…stressed, and this is just…"

"Wrong?"

Jinx helpfully supplied an answer as he nodded affirmatively.

"Wally we are just taking the car from that slug, who probably stole it from another equally slimy slug. Our need is greater."

Flash turned on the ignition and shifted into drive.

"Yeah I guess you're right, but now that we have the car I'm not sure I actually know a safe place to take you."

"_Us_. A safe place to take _us_ Wally."

The boy pulled out onto the main road and into the break of dawn traffic. Without acknowledging her correction he leaned over and grabbed her seatbelt.

"Buckle up."

Troubled at his lack of communication, Jinx frowned and looked out the window at the rising sun. It was time to relinquish her brief role as leader and let Wally think.

The speedster turned onto the highway leading out of Metropolis and began to brainstorm ideal places they could run to.

'_We don't have any extra clothes, very little money, and a full tank of gas. Well at least we have one necessity.'_

A slight thump caused his attention to deviate from the road as he was met with the sight of Jinx fast asleep, her head resting against the cold, car window. Her once fuchsia hair was faded by dirt and plastered in clumps on her head. She had cuts, now scabbed, on her cheeks that looked like whiskers, giving her a more catlike appearance than she normally had. A bruised and swollen wrist hung at an odd angle on her lap, a faint pink line the only vestige of her inhibitor bracelet.

'_Hm. She must be exhausted. Now that I'm not running for my life, I feel tired too.'_

Wally's eye lids drooped, his front tires drifting dangerously close to the median. A car horn jolted him awake, and the sharp pain in his side as he swerved the car back into place reminded him to stay on task.

'_Think Walter. Think. Where can we go? We need an ally. Okay that eliminates all the heroes in the League. What about a rogue organization? One that believes in the same things we do. How about the X-men?!'_

Westchester County was in the opposite direction but if he got off at the next exit he could easily turn around. He merged onto the off ramp only to illegally jerk back over the solid white line, as a sudden thought hit him.

'_I can't go there! Professor Xavier wouldn't want to get on the League's bad side by harboring us, and he's too nice for me to force that kind of decision on him. Our best bet is to get as far away from the east coast as possible.'_

After several hours of driving and several states later Kid Flash had gone through a mental list of potential friends and came up with nothing. He was short on ideas and running out of time. Pulling into a gas station, Wally got out of the car and shut the door softly. He closed his eyes, ignoring the critical glances he was receiving from other customers, and waited for the tank to fill.

'_**Come to the tower Kid Flash. We're on your side.'**_

The boy jumped, startled at the strange voice inside of his head and looked around wildly.

'_Okay man, now you really have lost it. Lack of sleep must be making me hear my guardian angel or something – "we're on your side" , yeah uh huh.'_

'_**Flash don't ever compare me to an angel again. I don't do happy, and I most certainly do not do frilly dresses. Just get over here.'**_

If Wally thought hearing a voice in his head was weird, a voice that answered him back was even weirder.

"Hang on a second. Monotone voice, sarcastic tone, "doesn't do happy"…"

His eyes widened in realization and the gas pump clicked off. Wally didn't move.

"Raven the Titan!"

He quickly shoved the nozzle back into its holder and paid for the gas, leaping into the car not caring if he woke Jinx up or not.

'_That explains why I could hear her in my mind – she's a telepath!'_

Wally had raced back onto the freeway and was pouring on the speed. He went half a mile before suddenly slowing down, not sure what he was running from.

'_Chill. It's not like she's here. Besides Raven said that they were on our side…Of course this is probably a trap.'_

The boy looked over at his sleeping beauty who was grimacing, on the verge of waking up.

'_Not that there are many options left. We have no place else to go.'_

Swearing, kid flash took the Jump City exit, his mind made up.

'_What the hell. I must be crazy, but I'm going to take my chances with heroes that are my size and that I can take on if I have to.'_

Bruised fingers clenched the steering wheel tightly.

'_And I owe Robin one punch in the face.'_

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Pale fingers slipped out of the dark recesses of her cloak as Raven knocked on the steel door.

"Robin?"

No answer.

The empath sighed and pushed back her hood, inputting the override code into the electronic lock. She cautiously let herself in, not knowing if she should be bracing herself for the storm or the calm before it. Robin was hunched over his desk with his fists braced against the wooden surface. Newspaper clippings were scattered carelessly around him and he did not acknowledge Raven's entry.

"Um Robin? I really don't care if you mistreat yourself by staying in this room all day and obsessing, but you are making Safire worry too. What if the city needs you? I sure as hell ain't carrying your malnourished and sleep deprived butt all over Jump."

"Raven get out."

The witch raised a purple eyebrow at her leader's tense back, and reached out into his mind. Robin whirled around to look her square in the eyes, an orange and black mask clenched in his hand.

"You think your going to find answers in here?"

He tapped his head with a gloved finger.

"C'mon Rae you know my mind backwards and forwards. You tell me. What am I thinking?"

"It would be easier if you just let me in Robin. We all know Slade's recent activity has made you this way what we don't know is why. I think Starfire _deserves _to know why."

Robin jerked his head towards an armchair in the corner.

"She's ahead of you in that department then. Been here all morning trying to get me to come out and eat."

Raven looked to the corner surprised she hadn't noticed the alien girl's sleeping form before hand. If Robin had been resisting Star's good intentions than he was beyond hope.

"Fine. I'll leave you to your…work. I contacted Kid Flash and he should be here soon with Jinx. I'm sure they will be able to help you shine some light on the Slade issue, them being wanted criminals of the JL now."

"Good. When they get here send them in."

"No _master. _I think you can spare a couple minutes and come out with the living to talk with them yourself."

Raven grabbed a blanket off the bed and draped it around Star before walking towards the door.

"And clean yourself up. You look like shit."

Robin growled at her retreating form and set a new override code as soon as she left. With one last glance at Starfire he began to sift through case files again.

"I _will_ get him. No matter what."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Jinx woke up to a nightmare. A giant billboard filled her vision, seemingly taking up the whole windshield.

'_**Welcometo Jump City!!! WTF?'**_

"Wally!"

Wally jumped at his girlfriend's screech and looked her over, expecting her to be hurt or something.

"God Jinx don't scare me like that! What?"

"Turn around! You're going the wrong way! Don't you know the Teen Titans live here?"

The pink haired teen stared at the boy next to her in astonishment as he steadily drove on, calmly looking in his rearview mirror.

"I know. That's why we're here."

"That's why we're…?"

'_What is he thinking? He can't be…no. Is he thinking that it would be faster to just turn ourselves in? Get it over with? I don't understand…'_

"Wally…This is the _Teen Titans_ were talking about."

Kid Flash nodded at her and smiled.

'_She says that like I'm two years old. I know what I'm doing…I think.'_

"Jinx I'm not stupid, I know what I'm doing. Raven sent me message saying that we should come to the tower and that they would help us."

Jinx reached over to feel his forehead.

"No you don't have a fever. Are you even listening to yourself? Because I am and what I hear does not match what we are trying to do."

Wally shook his head.

"You don't understand Jinx, it's just a feeling I have. I believe that this is the right course of action."

"So help me understand Wally! What if it is a trap?"

"I don't think it is, but if I'm wrong then we'll just run away again."

Jinx frowned and looked out her window at the looming tower over the ocean.

"I don't like it. It's too risky."

"Everything is too risky Jinx. If you have a better plan let's hear it."

The girl bit her lip in frustration. She didn't know what to do either.

"Okay. I trust you Wally. Let's try it."

"Okay."

Kid Flash stopped the car and got out, taking Jinx's hand in her own.

"I love you. You know that right?"

Jinx grinned.

"Of course I do. Now let's do this thing before I lose my nerve."

"Right. Here we go."

Jinx clambered up onto Wally's back and he ran across the bay to the island before them, his feet hardly touching the water.


	6. Chapter 6

"_Some sort of window to your right,_

_As he goes left and you stay right,_

_Between the lines of fear and blame,_

_And you begin to wonder why you came."_

_-The Fray_

**How to Save a Life**

**Chapter 6**

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Massive titanium doors marked the entrance to Titan Tower. 20 feet tall and 6 inches thick, they could stop anything short of Doomsday. Normally icons of hope, Wally now found them rather intimidating. He reached out a hand to timidly knock on the nearly indestructible metal.

"Uh… I don't think anyone is going to able to hear that."

Kid Flash craned his head to look at the girl on his back and readjusted her position slightly, pushing her higher up on his waist. He grunted, trying to cover up his obvious nervousness with a comeback.

"You want to knock then? Maybe if you bang on them hard enough the whole tower will come crashing down around our feet and we can fight a couple of pissed off super teens. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Not really. I don't even want to be here. And isn't sarcasm usually my line?"

The speedster sighed heavily and raised a fist to pound on the double plated doors once again.

'_Great. Let's fight amongst ourselves. That will make things better. We're both a bundle of nerves so let's try to be positive.'_

"I know Jinx. Just have some faith."

His voice sounded uncertain even to her.

'_Take your own advice.'_

"Hey dudes! What's shakin? Woah, you two look terrible! What happened? You get hit by a car?"

Shocked at both the new voice and its appearance, Jinx and Kid Flash just stood there gaping at the now open doorway. When had that opened? Wally was the first to recover and greeted the boy in turn.

"Good to see you Beast Boy. Actually it was a bomb, but trust me it looks worse than it was."

Jinx made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort and dangled her hurt wrist in front of Wally's face. He bashfully laughed and scratched the back of his head, caught in the act of trying to be cool.

"Well, maybe it was as bad as it looks."

Beast boy smiled genuinely at the pair and beckoned them inside.

"Come in and I'll get Cy to clean you up. Then we can talk."

Kid Flash hesitated and Jinx's fingernails dug into his shoulder blades. She was afraid.

'_That makes two of us.'_

"Jinx…"

Beast boy turned and saw that they weren't following him. Sensing the problem, he walked back, stopping so that he was eye level with Jinx over Wally's shoulder. The changeling looked at Wally to reassure him that he wasn't going to hurt her and stuck out a hand in her direction.

"Hi there! I don't think we've ever really been introduced. My names' Beast boy. And you are?"

Jinx looked at his hand warily, not moving to take his hand in hers.

'_If he thinks I'm going to shake his hand he's crazy. What is he talking about never having been introduced? He was never this polite on the battlefield where we beat each other up. They have my name in their database of criminals for crying out loud! He must be mocking me – think I'm a fool for coming into his base vulnerable.'_

Wally squeezed her thighs lightly, prompting her into some kind of action. She looked at him and he nodded pointedly at Beast boy's hand. She glared back at the green boy who dared offer her a kind gesture. Closer inspection of Beast boy's eyes revealed the same quality that Wally's often held. Anger was replaced by surprise.

'_Sincerity…He's letting me start over with him? How…how is he able to accept me so willingly?'_

Jinx uncertainly shook Beast boy's hand, still unsure of his intentions.

"Jinx. I'm known as Jinx."

The green boy's smile widened and he gave her a thumbs up.

"Cute name…Jinx. Welcome to the Titan Tower. Nothing bad is going to happen to you here, at least not by me. Try not to worry okay?"

He made a silly face and Jinx was startled into a giggle.

"See? No harm no foul."

Wally let out a relieved breath he was unaware of holding. Beast boy returned his attention him.

"Dude, you're like, letting all the cold air in. You gonna close the door?"

Kid Flash let the rest of his tension out of his body and stepped farther inside, the heavy doors clanging shut behind him. The finality of that one action barely registered through his tired mind. Both boy and girl were in desperate need of medicine and sleep. Paranoia was not the remedy for either.

'_We'll just deal with things as they come.'_

The three teens made their way to the med room, the tower oddly quiet for the amount of people it housed.

"Hey B.B.! Where is everyone?"

"Cy is in sick bay waiting for us, Rae is around here somewhere, and Robin is…well, Robin will be down later.

Kid Flash scrutinized Beast boy's face for the hundredth time, looking for any evidence of deceit.

'_It's like they were expecting us to come here despite our suspicions. I'm guessing it was just assumed that we would need medical attention but still…maybe it's just my imagination.'_

Jinx raised her head of Wally's shoulder, her chin bobbing up and down with his stride.

"And Starfire?"

B.B. glanced at her knowingly. Starfire was the most forgiving of the bunch and also in favor of giving Jinx the benefit of the doubt. She wanted to know where everyone stood not where they were in the tower.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since last night when she went to go get Robin for dinner...but I'm sure she'll be happy to see you. Hell, Star's always happy just lately-"

Beast boy broke off suddenly and cocked his head like a dog. His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air slightly.

"Uh. I'll be right back guys. The med room is down the hall and to the right. Lemme' just go, um, check on something."

He turned into a cheetah and leapt off in the opposite direction. Wally and Jinx raised their eyebrows at each other.

"That was weird. What do you think that was all about Wally?"

"Beats the heck out of me. But did you notice B.B. was having trouble giving us a straight answer? There's something going on in the background around here."

"Trap?"

Jinx's voice had regained that fearful edge to it.

"No-o…"

Wally drew out the response thinking aloud.

"More like…drama, you know personal issues."

Jinx nodded her head. She knew. Drama was a common element in lives that seemed to play out like soap operas.

'"_As the Titan Tower turns" meets "The Fugitive".'_

Jinx laughed inwardly at herself.

'_Story of my life.'_

The door to the med room slid open and Kid Flash gently set Jinx on a bed before collapsing on the adjoining one. His chest was throbbing and he ached all over. Every third pulse would send him into a brief period of blissful numbness and then the cycle of pain would begin again. He wasn't sure if being numb was really a good thing or not.

"Yo, are ya'll alright? What the heck happened?!"

Boy and girl rolled over on their cots to see Cyborg inputting data into one of the life support machines.

Jinx was really tired of people asking this question.

'_Do we look okay to you?'_

"Bomb."

Jinx and Wally replied simultaneously, Jinx holding Cyborg's gaze a little longer than necessary. Cyborg nodded to her respectively, acknowledging their once upon a time friendship.

"Missy."

"Stone."

He reeled back as if he had physically hit.

"I don't go by that name anymore."

Jinx smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry. It's just, not everyone you left that day had a true home to go back to and forget."

Cyborg shook his head while Kid Flash looked back and forth between them, seemingly missing everything and nothing.

"Missy, Brother Blood was evil. I only infiltrated the H.I.V.E. to take him down, not to make pals."

"I know. I just wish I had known that at the time."

"You would have blown my cover."

"Maybe. Maybe not. It seems like a life time ago."

Cyborg stepped forward to look at her wrist.

"Girl, I think closure is in order. I'll be your friend as long as you promise not to go freaky on me and go back over to the other side."

Jinx laughed and looked over at her boyfriend.

"I don't think I'm in any danger of that with Wally around."

Wally was incredibly confused but he just smiled in agreement, showing his support.

"Your wrist is almost shattered. You should be in excruciating pain."

Jinx glared at the half machine half man.

"Thanks for the update doc. I had no idea."

Cyborg shrugged.

"Hey, I'm just givin ya a diagnosis. Some of the ligaments have pulled out of their proper places and twisted with the pieces of bone. The only one who can heal this kind of damage is Raven."

"Great."

Jinx blew air out through her noise and counted to ten.

'_I will not make a sarcastic remark. I will not make a sarcastic remark. I will not-'_

"Your gonna hafta wait until she comes down from her room though. You don't want to mess with an "un-meditated" Rae. We wouldn't want to piss her off now would we?"

"Oh yeah we wouldn't want that."

'_oops!'_

Wally sent Jinx a warning glance when Cyborg bent down to get something out of the medical kit. She tried to look as cute as she could and mouthed an apology. He rolled his eyes and grimaced as Cyborg pushed on his ribs. The door hissed open and the dark witch herself glided in, her hand lost in the fur of the giant, Bengal tiger beside her.

'_Speak of the devil. It's the queen of all that is morbid and creepy."_

The green tiger came padding in behind her and reversed the transformation. Jinx watched their entrance under half lidded eyes.

'_Beast boy looks incredibly serious whenever he is around Raven. I wonder why?'_

"Yo B.B.! I told you no changing near the med room unless your about to die! You get fur all over the equipment."

"Sorry man. I was…distracted."

"You smelled somethin."

It wasn't a question. Beast boy shuffled his feet and looked up at the void that was Raven's cloak.

"Ya. Frustration…anger."

Cy turned to Raven next.

"You don't need to do stuff alone Rae. Ya'll gotta learn to ask for help when you need it. I would like my tower to be intact for at least the duration of our teen years."

He winked at her to show he was just giving some friendly advice. Raven didn't think so.

"I don't need help controlling my powers Cyborg. If Beast boy didn't have such a damn hyper sensitive nose you wouldn't have even known. And stop calling me Rae."

"I wasn't referring to just you Rae…ven. There are other people in this tower that need to work on ways to vent their anger."

Jinx looked at Wally, feeling extremely lost. He shook his head and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Uh guys? I don't mean to interrupt this great come to Jesus meeting, but these injuries aren't gonna mend themselves. How bout' some help over here?"

Cyborg pushed Raven in the Jinx's general direction on his way over to Kid.

"Right. Of course. Rae you mend her wrist and I'll take a look at our speedster."

Beast boy grabbed a syringe canister he almost knocked off the table.

"And me? What can I do to help?"

Cy eyed the little pile of green fur that had been shed on his pristine floor during his transformation and then the canister BB was now holding."

"Uh…you…you can just let us work and try not to break anything. While your at it, grab a broom."

Beast boy sighed and with a final look at Raven, walked out, the automatic door swishing behind him.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Does this hurt?"

"Yeah."

"How bout' this?"

"_Yes."_

"And now?"

"Yes Cy! Everywhere you push it hurts okay? I could have told you that before you started treating me like play dough."

Wally sat on the edge of the examining table subjected to Cyborg's poking and prodding while Jinx tied off his bandages, somewhat messily, with her newly healed wrist. Raven silently surveyed their antics from her spot in the corner, hood up and porcelain hands hidden in volumes of cloak. Suddenly, the empath's head snapped up and monotone tremor quietly, but efficiently silenced Kid Flash's undignified howls and Cy's and Jinx's insistent "help".

"If I were you, I would move away from the door."

The three super teens stared at her, uncomprehendingly frozen in mid-action.

"Huh?"

Their answer was a loud crash as Beast Boy made his abrupt entrance by skidding through the door, careening wildly and changing into at least half a dozen animals before sliding to a stop at Raven's feet in the form of some creature only native to her home planet, Azarath. Cyborg angrily corrected the upset equipment the changeling had knocked over on his path of destruction and Jinx helped Wally up off his position on the floor.

"Graceful Gar."

Beast Boy indignantly looked up into a pair of mocking, yet concerned purple irises, the hood now blown back from their owner's face.

"Hey! It wasn't my fau-!"

"BEAST BOY! I DON'T LIKE TO BE KEPT FROM ENTERING ROOMS IN MY OWN HOME!"

Beast Boy's skin turned a shade lighter as all the color drained from his face and he jumped to his feet when a blur of red, yellow, and green stormed into the sick bay. The aggressive figure stomped to a halt in the middle of the room, metal toed combat boots placed wide apart and arms folded crossly over coiled muscle.

"Rob! C'mon man I get that your havin a rough time but you don't have to shout! This is the first we have seen of you in days and you flip out? Just cool it!"

Cyborg moved in front of Jinx, his hulking metal frame hiding her almost completely from view and pinned Robin with an accusatory look. Water droplets fell haphazardly from spiky jet black hair onto a white and black mask, the wearer just out of the shower.

"I don't want to calm down Cy! I come all the way down here to get some medical data on Slade and this one –

Robin jerked his thumb in Beast Boy's direction

"-wouldn't let me come in the _damn_ room!"

Twin lavender eyebrows came together as Raven frowned and Beast Boy resolutely stared straight ahead, unflinching with his hands clenched at his sides. Wally thought this had gone on long enough. Robin was being unusually asshole like. Not that, in Wally's opinion, he wasn't normally…just more so than usual.

_Wham!_

Kid Flash's fist connected with Robin's jaw and the fearless leader's body hit the ground, his head harshly making contact with the hard tile floor. Suprisingly, the crime fighter did not move. At all.

"Oh my God! I didn't mean to like, _knock him out_ knock him out! I just needed to get him back for something else, and he wasn't shutting up-why didn't he see me?-Jesus he is going to kill me when he wakes up…"

Beast boy lifted his leader off the floor slightly as Raven levitated the rest of his prone body and started wafting him towards the living room.

"Dude I can't believe you actually put him out! What have you been lifting man?!"

Flash stared back blankly, helplessly lost for words. Cy shook his head.

"Nah, Rob's just off his A game stuck in his room all day and night, obsessing over Slade and all. Don't worry Kid he'll get over it."

Wally grimly grabbed Jinx's hand and followed everyone into the other room.

'_I sure as hell hope so…for our sakes.'_

Wally began to wonder why they even came.


End file.
